A Wolf's Bane
by A Red Moon
Summary: Caroline Forbes – she was unlike anything he had ever come into contact with before. If the moon was his curse, then the sun was his salvation – and he believed one-hundred percent, without a doubt, that Caroline was his sun. A retelling of Season 2.
1. I

_Takes place immediately after **Daddy Issues.** The fic then branches off. _  
_I don't own Vampire Diaries. Rated T for now. _

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_How can we stop telling lies?_  
_It comes so easy like dead to the flies._  
_You say you don't notice what an enemy that you've made of me._  
-Last Goodbye (_Shaman's Harvest_)

I.

To say that she was pissed off was an understatement, but underneath all that anger and rage was something that burned with so much more pain – betrayal. Her heart felt as though it had been squeezed to death, and every time she thought about it, all she could envision was his face; his guilty face looking down in surrender, in acceptance.

After everything she had done for him; after risking her life to ensure he wouldn't be alone through the transformation –this was how he paid her back: with a bowed head and a dejected expression? When she had seen him run into the trailer, she had been overjoyed. The pain had been unbearable; it was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. A few years ago she had broken her ankle when a cheer-leading stunt went wrong. She had thought _that_ had been bad, but compared to the torture she experienced inside that iron cage, it felt like nothing now.

She insisted she was fine, but she wasn't. Her mom, "the workaholic" who barely had time for her own daughter, was still at the station leaving Caroline an empty, soundless house. Part of her had been grateful that her mother wasn't there – there would be no possible way to explain the wounds that plagued her skin and in the end she would just have to compel the woman into forgetting – something Caroline tried to avoid as much as possible. But still, she hated the silence – sometimes absolute silence could feel louder than a crowded room – especially to someone with advanced hearing. With a quiet house, Caroline could hear every rustle outside; every creak in the old home; and every car that drove past. Every sound made her uneasy.

Thank God for Stefan – in all her life she had never met a more genuine guy. Elena was lucky to have snatched up someone whose heart was so pure. She didn't know how someone who craved human blood could still be a genuinely nice guy – especially when compared to his brother. But she could tell that he did care about her; and he saw through her tough façade (something she couldn't decide was either a good thing or a bad thing). But then again, someone who lived for over a hundred years and who experienced everything she was currently going through was bound to be insightful. There would be no fooling him with a pretty smile and sweet words; a fact that made her uncomfortable.

She sat in that shower for a long time – the scolding water leaving red blotches all over her skin. And when she saw the dried blood staining the white tub, she broke down, allowing the tears to drop and blend with the water. The wounds had closed by now leaving only irritated marks that would fade by morning – but inside Caroline knew she was a little traumatized. How can one not be after experiencing what she did?

But Stefan brought her exactly what she needed.

They talked all night – at first it was really depressing. They wanted to know what happened and she told them. When she spoke about her time in the cage, she couldn't seem to look at their faces. The entire time she described what happened, she fumbled with the soft blanket that covered her lap, staring at the embroidery. She made sure to leave out any unnecessary details, trying to provide just enough information without getting too descriptive. She didn't want their pity or apologies – just their support was enough. She also told them about Tyler – told them about her frustration and disappointment over his apathy before adding in, with a bowed head, that before all this happened, he had kissed her.

Being typical girls, they seemed to focus on that the most.

She talked about her problems with both Matt and Tyler (who was no longer welcomed in her home); Elena talked about her plans with Stefan, and Bonnie talked about her disgust with Luca and his sneaky father. Both were surprised to hear that Jonas had actually been the one who rescued them – enabling the wolves and giving the three of them the chance to get away. It seemed Elijah was keeping up with his promise – something that Elena seemed pleased to hear but which discouraged both Bonnie and she.

After they got the dark and gruesome details out of the way, they attempted to have a normal, old-fashion sleep-over. No more vampire talk or werewolf talk – just three girls in dire need of 'girl time'. So they painted their nails, watched a few movies, pigged out on junk food, danced away their sugar high, and then crashed and slept until late afternoon. Needless to say, Caroline was feeling tons better by Saturday.

By then, her wounds were completely gone and she looked as good as new. Inside was a completely different story, but if she could convince people that everything was fine by being her normal perky self, then everything would be okay. So she pulled on one of her favorite outfits, tied a white scarf around her neck and pulled her hair up away from her face, her head held high and ready to face the day.

The school was having an open house for interested incoming freshman and she agreed to sit at a table to hand out school information and direct confused parents in the right direction. The simplicity of it all seemed ridiculous, but normal sounded like a good thing to her right now. So without waking her mom, she got her car keys and took off.

By the time she got there, it was already crowded and Caroline had to weave in between frustrated parents and arrogant teenagers in order to find her table. As she broke away from the crowd of people, she took a deep sigh of relief spotting Bonnie in the distance at an art table. The blond smiled a little and waved. She was about to venture over there when someone called out her name. She turned around and saw Matt stepping up in front of her. He looked a little upset and she immediately tilted her head.

"Hey Matt, are you okay?" She asked with uncertainty.

The blond shrugged a little and looked at her, squinting his blue eyes in the sunlight. Caroline squirmed slightly under his intense stare, feeling as though she was being examined.

"Look Caroline, I need to know what's going on with us. I mean, I thought we were going to clear everything up on Friday but then you bailed and I-"

"Look Matt, I'm really sorry but Bonnie needed-"

"Don't lie to me, Care." He said with a little disappointment in his voice. "Bonnie was at the Grille when I called you; she looked fine to me."

Caroline opened her mouth to try and explain but came up blank.

Matt sighed softly and took a small step forward. "So you're lying to me now?"

"No, no Matt. It isn't like that; I just…" she trailed off, fumbling with her fingers and trying to think properly.

"I just don't get it. I mean you tell me you love me and then you refuse to talk to me."

"I know and I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have told you like that."

"Caroline, I'm happy you told me, but I'd like to know where we stand now, you know?"

"Yeah, I know…" But despite her agreement, she couldn't bring herself to tell him anything. God, she had just wanted to escape all this drama for one day, but with Matt around asking questions she was forced to remember why she originally broke up with him - to protect him from everything, but especially from herself; from the horrible, blood-thirsty animal that existed inside of her. She could feel her face warming up, tears beginning to form, but she took a deep breath and held them back, biting her lip softly.

"Look, I'm sorry Matt."

"You keep saying that Care, but I don't know what you're apologizing for. Just- tell me what's going on, please." His voice was desperate and he reached out and grabbed her hands, looking into her eyes and pushing his forehead against hers. She could tell by looking into his eyes that he knew something was wrong – because the worry and concern was oozing off of him in barrels.

Caroline breathed in and smelt his scent; smelt the warmness of his heart and his general concern, and it made her head reel. She closed her eyes and licked her lips, breathing out slowly. There was nothing more she wanted to do than fall into his embrace, but as they stood there, the gentle breeze sweeping around them, she could suddenly hear his heart beating, slowly speeding up from their proximity; she found herself losing to his scent and quite rapidly it began to overpower everything else. Before she lost herself, she quickly reopened her eyes and stepped back, clearing her throat and sucking in the oxygen around her, obviously flustered.

But as she took a step back, a face a few yards away caught her attention. Tyler was standing by a table, his eyes glued on the couple and his face expressionless. Caroline gulped and quickly looked away, staring at the ground and wrapping her arms around herself. Matt noticed her sudden discomfort and glanced behind him, also noticing Tyler who looked away as Matt tried to make eye contact. When the blond turned back around, a small scowl was on his face.

"Did something happen between you two?"

Caroline shook her head and looked towards the distance, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. She had thought she could be strong about all this, but seeing his face again brought back all that anger and hurt and the more she tried to ignore it, the more she actually thought about it. Matt noticed her sudden anxious behavior and gripped her arm, stepping closer again.

"Caroline, did he do something?"

She shook her head, but she could feel her body tensing, "No, I just- We aren't exactly friends anymore."

"What happened?"

She tried to shake off the question by laughing it off a little, "He's just an ass."

Matt didn't seem to need much convincing, but before he could comment, Caroline pulled herself out of his grasp and smiled a little. "Look, Matt I have to get to my booth. We'll talk soon, I promise."

Matt opened his mouth to argue but within seconds Caroline had disappeared. He let out an irritated sigh as he turned around to look towards Tyler. After taking another glance at Caroline's retreating figure, he turned and headed towards the football table.

xxx

"Hey, did you do something to Caroline?"

Tyler straightened up and let out a small sigh when he heard Matt's angry voice.

"What are you talking about?"

"I was just talking to her and she took one glance at you and practically ran away. Did you do something?" Tyler could hear the warning in his voice, like he already suspected it, he was just searching for confirmation. Tyler remained silent, trying to remain composed and unbothered as he glanced off towards her direction, trying to spot her.

Matt let out a bitter laugh and shook his head. "What the hell is going on with you guys? It's like no one can give me a straight answer anymore."

Tyler shook his head a little and turned his back to his best friend, "Believe me, you really don't want one."

He began to walk off, but Matt refused to leave it at that.

"What did you do Tyler?" He could hear him behind him. The jealously was practically dripping off of him, "Did you kiss her?"

At the question, Tyler stopped and turned around, staring him straight in the eye. Matt was only chopping at the tip of the iceberg – the real problems between them were so unbelievable that Matt's little head wouldn't even be able to comprehend it. But if he wanted the truth from him, Tyler wouldn't hold back. He didn't exactly appreciate the tone of Matt's voice –as if Caroline belonged to him and Tyler was forbidden to ask her out. Technically they were still broken up.

"What if I did man?" Tyler let out a small shrug and narrowed his eyes. "She doesn't belong to you."

Matt glared at him for some time before he pulled back his arm and punched Tyler across the face. It was just what Tyler needed. He had been searching for something to vent on; it was unfortunate that it became his best friend but Matt initiated it and there was no way he would back away from it now. The anger inside of him blinded logic and reason leaving only a wild animal, and as soon as the initial shock wore off, Tyler sent a powerful punch at Matt. They ended up on ground and by the time someone managed to pull him off of Matt, the poor guy had a bloody nose and busted lip, half of his face covered in blood. Tyler's lip was also bleeding and Matt managed to get some more painful punches in before the coach pulled the two away from each other.

By this time, a circle had formed around the pair and everyone was staring. The coach was yelling in both their faces, telling them to cool off or they were off the team. The principal and staff quickly came over, one talking to Matt while the others tried to reassure the parents that this was a very rare incident. They managed to get things moving once again, but a lot of the students were still watching them. Tyler stalked off, but turned his head back to glance at Matt, noticing the nurse trying to get a good look at his nose. Blond hair caught his eye and he noticed Caroline watching in the distance. She was staring at Matt and breathing slowly, her body tense. She was a good few feet from him and it took Tyler a second to realize that she could smell the blood and was trying to control herself.

She turned her head and looked towards him, a look of alarm on her face. They made eye contact for a brief second before Tyler looked away and turned a corner, his knuckles white and his breathing labored.

xxx

Jules took a few deep breaths glancing up towards the sky that was visible through the trees. The fire besides her was still lit but dying, crackling gently every now and then. After a moment, she closed her eyes and rubbed her head. Three days after the warlock raped their minds and she still had a fierce headache. She hadn't been expecting them and if they wanted to go after the vampires again, he would need to be dealt with. But she didn't care much for the vampires anymore – all she wanted was Tyler and now they had him. Jonas had told them to leave town – it seemed the blood-suckers had power on their side as well. They really didn't stand much of a chance – not against vampires _and_ magic. She wanted to leave.

But Brady had other plans and seeing as he was the alpha male, he had a lot of authority over what they did. She was older than him, and he didn't seem to mind listening to her, but she had a feeling he would not agree to leave – not now, especially not after learning about the moonstone. The stone was the reason Mason had left the pack in the first place; he had to get the stone from his older brother's possession – it was too rare to leave with people who had no idea of its power. Jules had encouraged it – thinking about it now, she wished she would have said no.

Footsteps from behind made her reopen her eyes and turn around.

"No one said anything about witches." Brady sounded agitated, his eyes dark and tired. "Why the hell would warlocks be on the side of vampires?"

Jules let out a sigh and shrugged, making a small face. The smell of burning flesh was still tangent in the air. Trying to ignore it, she stepped forward, biting her lip, "Brady, the situation has changed. There are too many factors against us; we need to leave now."

Brady eyed her before moving forward, "Are you kidding? They have the moonstone now – that belongs to us." He turned his back to her, staring into the fire. "Besides, they killed too many of our own. If we backed out now, it would be dishonorable."

"More of us will end up dead if we stay here. I told you, I wasn't interested in revenge! I just want Tyler."

"The situation has changed; the moonstone is top priority now. If they break the curse – all of us are dead!"

"And how do you plan on getting it? Huh? _They_ have it, and they aren't going to give it up without a fight." Jules insisted, walking forward to look at him with icy eyes. He could see the fear in them, but they couldn't just walk away from this. It was his duty to avenge his fallen brothers and to take back what rightfully belonged to them – besides his pride had been damaged; he had to get it back.

Despite Jules's panicked point of view, Brady seemed calmed and convinced. At her words, an amused smile appeared on his face, his eyes hot with hunger. Jules tensed and took a small step back, shaking her head softly in disbelief. "That's exactly what you want." His silence was all the confirmation she needed, "Brady, we aren't a match for them. The next moon isn't for another week and a half! How do you plan to successfully take them down?"

The man in questioned turned his head to stare at her. "We use our heads this time – it's as simple as that."

Jules tilted her head, "What are you thinking?"

He smiled with victory – it was never hard to convince Jules to do as he wanted. She was a good and honest little pistol who would rather protect the pack then stand up for what needed to be done. But it was why they made such a good couple – he was blinded by pride and she by precaution.

"It's true – we are no match for the vampire's – not against all three. But we can easily deal with them one at a time – they are almost weak when separated. And they have so many tasty weaknesses."

"You want to kill them off – one by one? What about the warlock?"

"He is precisely why we need to move quickly and quietly" Brady remarked, taking a few steps closer to Jules and taking her hands, squeezing them gently. "We take one of them, find the moonstone, kill them, and then leave – very quietly and very quickly." He emphasized again, tilting his head in closer and breathing in her scent. She relaxed a little in his arms, but her face was still wary.

"Are you telling me this has nothing to do with revenge?" she whispered out skeptically.

Brady in turn offered a smile, "Not mostly."

"I still don't like this – Brady if more of our own die…"

"We play the game my way; if we loose more, then I'll do what you want." He promised, brushing his nose gently across hers, his lips hovering just above hers. His hands were slowly moving down her arms, stroking her sides.

"What do we do first?" Her voice was breathless as her body leaned against his, bending to his touch. At her question, an eager smirk formed on his lips. "I was interrupted last time; I never got to finish with blondie."

Jules looked slightly disappointed for a brief second, "Why her?" She even sounded slightly…jealous?

"Because out of the three, she is the one with the lose tongue."

Jules was hesitant, "Are you sure you can get the answer out of her?"

The smile on Brady's face was haunting. "Of course I can."

Jules remained quiet and bit her lip, looking away from him for a brief second before pulling out of his embrace. His eyes followed her as she walked back towards the trailer. As she opened the door, she turned back around to stare at him with uneasy eyes. "Be careful, Brady."

He turned around to face the dying fire, the smile still strong on his face. "I always finish what I start," he muttered, chuckling softly and looking up towards the sky.

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_Reviews would be splendid - decides whether or not I should continue. I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes - it's late and I wanted to get this up before I went to bed. Enjoy!  
_


	2. II

_I was absolutely blown away with all the love I got for the first chapter. I thank you all so much. I wasn't planning to post Chapter Two so quickly but your reviews convinced me to do otherwise. I apologize for any mistakes.  
_

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It's too late now to stop the process.  
This was your choice you let it in.  
This double life you lead is eating you up from within.  
A thousand shards of glass you pushed beneath my skin.  
Left me lying there to bleed.  
-_Broken Pieces_ (Apocalyptica feat. Lacey of Flyleaf)_

II.

She stood in the nurse's office with Matt, trying to keep her distance as much as possible. But the smell, it was intoxicating and everywhere. Outside she had convinced herself that she could handle being around Matt – he was hurt and she wanted to be there for him. But the scent had been diluted within the fresh air. Now she was in a tight office with every single window and door closed with Matt bleeding all over himself. She bit her thumb nail as she paced back and forth, only half-listening to the nurse as she examined him. She gave Matt a few tissues and told him to tilt his head back for a few seconds.

The color red caught her eye and she stopped pacing to look at him. Blood dripped down his nose staining the tissues within minutes. His lips were tainted red, his busted lip swollen and dripping down his chin. Caroline could feel the excitement brewing in the pit of her stomach; the idea of his blood making her mouth water. She licked her lips as her heart started racing, the sudden urge to run her tongue across his bleeding lips paralyzing her. He noticed her staring and tilted his head.

"You alright, Care? You're as white as a ghost."

His concern snapped her out of the dangerous daze and she quickly cleared her throat, hugging her arms around her body. _Distraction! Find some kind of distraction. Stop thinking about blood!_ She spun around and stared at him, determination etched into her features.

"What the hell happened out there Matt? One minute you're talking to Tyler and the next you two are taking swings at each other." There: replace desire with anger.

"I asked him why you were upset with him."

Caroline shook her head a little, clenching her sweaty palms and breathing slowly through her mouth.

"He tried to kiss you, right? That's why you're angry with him."

Caroline was left shocked – too anxious to even form a word. She opened her mouth to make a comment, but couldn't. She hadn't been upset by the kiss. At first she had been shocked and surprised, but after that wore off, she hadn't felt disgusted. No, instead she had been overtaken by mind-halting and body-seizing terror; because there had been something there – something that she had never felt when she kissed Matt.

Tyler kissed her with this sudden need; held her with gentle and hesitant hands. It had happened so fast but she could remember every little feeling that stunned her during those few seconds. Hunger, need, desperation, and that scared her.

She loved Matt; she loved the boy so much that she was risking her own happiness for his safety. But after holding Tyler as he convulsed in pain and cried out in agony, after hearing him call out her name after the transformation, after that head-spinning kiss – Caroline couldn't lie to herself anymore. Something had formed: an understanding – an attachment – a desperation? Whatever it was, she couldn't deny it anymore.

But after she had been taken hostage by his wolf gang, everything changed, and no matter how many times he apologized, she couldn't shake the betrayal.

"It's a little bit more than that," she finally settled on, but Matt seemed convinced that that was where all the problems originated.

"You know what; you'd think I'd be used to this by now." Matt said with anger and disappointment bowing his head and letting out a deep sigh. "I mean first the crap with my mom and now he's trying to steal my girlfriend – I just can't-"

Caroline was about to comment that technically she wasn't his girlfriend anymore, but the nurse suddenly returned with a kit and interrupted.

"Look, Matt whatever the reason, you can't just go and punch the guy in the face."

"I trusted him, Caroline and this will be the second- Ow!" Matt winced as the nurse removed the tissues from his face. Caroline quickly looked away, sucking in a breath and staring at the "How You Know if You Have Lice" poster positioned against the wall. As she stared at the pictures, she could hear the soft groans and sounds of pain coming from Matt.

The smell was getting to her again, and in order to control herself she dug her fingernails into her palms.

The phone started to ring in the nurse's office. "I'll be just a minute; keep pressure on that nose."

Caroline turned her head and let out a small sigh, her back up against the wall – the furthest she could possible be from Matt. She contemplated leaving now, before it was too late. But as she reached behind her to grab the doorknob, he lowered his head and took away the gauze, turning his face towards her.

"How bad does it look?"

Caroline's eyes immediately focused on the smeared blood above his top lip and the smell hit her with a powerful slam. Her legs started moving before she could stop herself and as she got closer, she could feel her pulse picking up. Eventually she was standing in front of him inches away from his body.

"That bad, huh?"

She shook her head a little bit but it didn't do much to clear the fog. She licked her lips and took in a deep breath. "No, it's not that bad." She reached out and placed her hand on his chin, the blood running from his lip staining the length of her thumb. She could feel her eyes changing, and only the fear that Matt would find out what she was snapped her out of the bloodlust.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Fine, fine. I'm just not too good with blood," she breathed out. Her tongue rubbed up against her teeth finding with horror that fangs had formed. "Matt, I'm just going to go get some fresh air; I'll be right back."

Before he even had time to make a comment she was gone.

Her heart was racing and her body felt like it was on fire. The adrenaline was pumping furiously through her veins, heightening her senses – every scent was amplified and she could feel herself losing control. The fresh blood was cold on her fingers, and it took every ounce of her remaining control not to lift her thumb to her mouth and suck it clean. She had to get out of here – had to get home or find Stefan. Her entire body was on edge. If she didn't calm down soon, she would either attack the next person she saw or break down and crumble to the floor.

The halls were dimmed and empty – school tours didn't start for another hour so thankfully she had enough proximity and space to try and clear her head. She continued to suck in some deep breaths, breathing in deeply and letting the air out slowly through her mouth. But as she continued to walk down the length of the hall, a sudden scent filled the air.

There was blood somewhere; someone was bleeding.

"Caroline!"

Her body froze and tensed - her eyes wide with dread. Slowly she turned around and saw the shadow of Tyler Lockwood heading her way. She took a few steps back, shaking her head and weakly begging, "Tyler, don't – please don't."

"You can't keep avoiding me; we need to talk."

"Not now," she insisted, turning quickly. But Tyler was fast and he reached out, pulling her towards him.

"Caroline." His grip remained tight around her wrist but when he saw her face, she felt it loosen. She let out a soft chocking sound – she could tell without seeing her reflection that her eyes were a deep red.

"You're bleeding, Tyler – you're bleeding." Her voice was a rough whisper as her eyes fell on his cut lip. She took another step forward, her eyes glued on his lip as their bodies got ever so closer. Her hand came up to rest hesitantly on his cheek. He stared at her, but didn't move as she stepped forward. She could feel her lips parting, as she leaned in slightly, but before she got too close, she caught herself and backed away from him, a low groan releasing passed her dry lips.

"What's wrong with you?" Tyler asked sounding concerned. His hand was still tight on her wrist and despite her attempts to get away from him, he wouldn't let her go. It occurred to her that Tyler had never seen her vulnerable like this before. She needed to make him understand because her blood lust was out-of-control today – she cursed herself for not drinking anything this morning.

"The blood; there's too much of it! It's on my hands and it's on you – and I can smell it and I-I can't control it right now, okay!"

Her voice was on the edge of hysteria; she ripped her hand away from him and this time he let her. Her fingers immediately gripped her hair, her head bowed and her breathing uneven. It took her a second to realize that he had let go of her and she backed away from him. She was going to run but _fuck_ the blood was still on her fingers and it continued to cloud her senses. She swallowed the lump in her throat and ripped the white scarf she had tied around her neck off, quickly wiping Matt's blood off of her fingers before throwing the article into a trash bin.

Tyler's blood faded as well and when she glanced at him, she noticed that he was wiping the blood away from his lip. But even though the scent was lessened, it didn't help the fact that now she was starved. As she walked backwards, stuck within her own head she tried to calculate if she had enough control to make it home without hurting anyone. She should have drunk something this morning – she hadn't fed Friday night because she didn't want to do that kind of stuff in front of her best friends. Sure, Elena was probably use to it by now, but Bonnie was still hesitant with the whole vampire thing and she didn't want to push her away more.

But Jules and her vicious little friend had forced her to lose a lot of the blood in her system which sustained her, and she hadn't really realized the horrible affect going to school hungry would cause. She just had to get a control of herself – she just had to breathe through it. But no matter how many times she told herself to relax, she couldn't shake the angry frustration directed at herself for being so careless. She could have killed Matt – she had wanted to and that upset her more than anything – the fact that even though she loved this guy so much, part of her had no problem with the idea of sucking him dry.

Tears ran down her cheeks as she walked blindly down the hall, trying to remember how to get the hell out of the place.

"Care," Tyler grabbed her and she didn't have enough energy to push him away this time. She felt his strong hands on her upper arms, guiding her backwards until her back was pressed against something firm. She let out another chocked sob absolutely horrified with how pathetic she was at the moment. She didn't want people to see her out-of-control, especially Tyler, especially after everything that happened. She slid down the wall and Tyler followed her, squatting down in front of her.

"Breathe – remember? Just- clear your head and keep fighting through it," he said but his voice sounded a bit unsure, like he wasn't sure if his presence there was actually helping or making things worse.

"You should really leave," she commented as her voice grew low and angry. She was avoiding looking at Tyler, her eyes glued onto the dirty white floor with disappointment. But she did listen and after a stubborn second, she closed her eyes and took in a hearty breath of air. She thought about all the things Stefan had told her, all the ways to control the urge, to lessen the hunger and after a minute or two, she started to regain control.

"I've never seen you lose your cool before," Tyler remarked softly, his one hand moving up to her shoulder.

"I didn't-," she paused though, ashamed. "I didn't drink anything this morning, which was stupid of me. Because of what happened – without blood I'm susceptible to lose control. It's my fault."

Tyler grinded his teeth together thinking about how none of this was actually _her _fault.

"Are you okay now?" he gritted out trying to cover up the guilt.

"Fine." Her response was short and as she reopened her eyes, they were once again normal. The red had disappeared leaving only her normal green eye color.

Tyler let out a sigh and tried to bend his head a little to get her attention, but she avoided him.

"Caroline-,"

"Why would you attack Matt like that?" she quickly asked trying to change the subject– her voice hot with accusation and her eyes angry.

Tyler raised his brows and after a second of silence, he let out a bitter laugh. "Why would I-? No – he _attacked _me. He threw the first punch."

"Well, you sure as hell finished it."

"And what the hell was I suppose to do? I don't enjoy getting punched in the face."

"Is that the whole wolf's pride thing?" She asked a bit critically. "Tyler, you a freaking werewolf! You could have killed him."

Tyler remained silent, letting out a defeated sigh and staring at the ground. Caroline sniffed a little and wiped away the remaining tears.

"I need to talk to you," Tyler quickly said as he sat down next to her. "I need to ask you something."

Caroline narrowed her eyes a little bit, but said nothing waiting for him to continue. But he hesitated and she could tell by the sudden tension that formed between them that she wouldn't like the next words that would come from his mouth.

"Mason had something; something very important. It's been past down through my family for generations."

Caroline remained silent and looked forward at the dimmed wall across from them. She took a small breath and nodded, "The Moonstone."

Tyler shifted a little next to her but she avoided making eye contact. "I want it back Caroline."

She remained quiet for some time and Tyler didn't pressure her to answer him. But after a minute or two, she turned her head to look at him something desperate in her eyes. "Why now?" Tyler shook his head a little confused. "You were never interested in the moonstone before. Why now?"

Tyler opened his mouth but closed it after a second. But Caroline knew the truth and let out a sad and bitter laugh, pushing away from the ground and quickly finding her feet. Tyler followed suit.

"Caroline-,"

"_They _want it don't they?" Caroline hissed at him, her fists clenching and a cruel smile on her face. "Your new friends want you to go and retrieve the moonstone for them – like a good dog should do." She shook her head sadly, but her eyes flared with anger. "Screw you, Tyler." She began to walk away.

His footsteps came from behind. "Caroline, I need that moonstone." He still spoke as though he held authority over everything; as though she had no choice but to obey him. And she had been willing to ignore such tone, but his next words made her pause. "Look, _we_ didn't start this; if you don't remember, you guys killed Mason-"

Like a flash she spun around and before Tyler could utter another word, his back was slammed up against a wall, Caroline's fingers digging painfully into his shoulders. She glared at her for a second before her expression transformed into something pained. Tyler remained still, holding his breath and looking straight into her eyes. Eventually the blond let out an exhausted sigh and her grip on him lessened until she wasn't so much holding him there as she was leaning against him.

"You have no idea what Mason did – he was working for Katherine." She bowed her head as she spoke. "Katherine was-," but she stopped, not wanting to rehash the painful memories of her transformation. "He tried to have Damon and Stefan killed." She looked up with serious eyes this time. "When someone tries to hurt one of my friends, I'm willing to do anything to stop them."

She stumbled back – nothing but pure exhaustion and frustration on her face. "I guess…you wouldn't know the feeling, right?" Her words were bitter and Tyler could see the familiar expressions of anger and disappointed reflected on her face. It was all she saw in him it seemed. She stepped back and walked away from him. "Choose a side Tyler." She didn't look back.

And his footsteps didn't follow.

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_I can't wait to post the next chapter - it's a lot longer than this chapter, and a certain sarcastic vampire will make an appearance. Surprisingly I found writing Damon to be particularly easy - Stefan not so much. Maybe that's reflective of who I am as a person. Huh? Anyway - the next chapter won't be up for a day or two - but more reviews will make me write faster. Thank you everyone. _


	3. III

_Thank you all so much; I'm so happy that everyone seems to be enjoying the fic. I have a lot of fun idea's I can't wait to write up. In this chapter, there are a few hints of the last two weeks episodes. (Did everyone see this weeks? No Caroline? WTF?) Anyway, enjoy!_

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_Count me in, violent, let's begin,__ feeding the sickness._  
_How do I, simplify, dislocate,_  
_the enemy's on the way.  
_Unknown Solider (_Breaking Benjamin_)

III.

She successfully managed not to kill anyone. When she got home though, she indulged on two blood packets, sucking them completely dry. She was just so angry – from his actions it would seem that Tyler had already chosen a side. And his decision made her stomach twist into knots. She still cared about him, but no matter what she felt, she couldn't be around Tyler anymore. Both Jules and Damon insisted that vampires and werewolves couldn't be friends, and it seemed that they would act as the proof. The horrible thing about this whole situation was that if it wasn't for Jules or Damon or Katherine – if it had only been Tyler and she, they could have been friends – they could have made it last and work. But it was screwed up now and she doubted it could ever be fixed.

The next morning she decided she needed to talk to Stefan – tell him about the wolves' knowledge about the moonstone and their desire to get it back. She was still contemplating whether or not she should tell him about Tyler's newfound disposition. As she got ready, she called the youngest Salvatore brother, but frowned when the call went to voicemail.

Thirty minutes later the blond pulled up to the residence, parking her car and locking it. The sun was bright this morning and high in the sky shining and warming Caroline's cold skin. She got out of her car and walked forward, pocketing her car keys. She rung the doorbell and waited, biting her lip softly and pulling her cell phone back out.

She was surprised when she saw Damon Salvatore open the front door, a bored and tired look on his face. He wore a pair of dark jeans and no shirt; his hair was a little messy and sleep still encumbered his eyes. Caroline was reminded of the days when she used to sleep with Damon – he was not exactly a morning person and she could tell by the disappointment in his eyes that she was not the person he wanted to see.

"Blondie," he simply acknowledged, turning around and walking deeper into the foyer of his house. He left the door open which Caroline took as an invitation to go inside. She followed and shut the door softly behind her. Her eyes searched while her nose tried to pick up Stefan's scent – but in the end she couldn't find him. She opened her mouth while Damon grabbed his discarded black shirt on the sofa and pulled it on.

"Um, is Stefan here?" She asked – not exactly comfortable being alone with Damon – not after he tried to kill her (twice).

Damon let out a soft grunt and smirked a little, "I hoped you'd come to see me."

"Damon, where's Stefan?" She didn't feel like playing around with him today.

"Well, he and Elena thought it'd be nice to go run away for a romantic weekend." His voice sounded fake and bubbly, his fingers shimming to add to the ridiculous idea. Within seconds, his smile was gone and replaced with a deep scowl. Caroline hesitated for a second before stepping into the living room to join him.

"Wait, they just left? Now? After all the stuff that's going on?"

"Eh, they didn't seem too worried about the entire thing." Damon threw over his shoulder as he walked to the alcohol behind the couch. But Caroline was rooted to her spot, staring at the ground as though the wood would offer her some form of explanation. Why the hell would Stefan and Elena run away now? With all the drama and danger happening, it seemed a little irresponsible for them to just take off.

"Well you look all better," Damon commented, staring at her with hot and heavy eyes as he tipped the shot glass back. "So much more appealing without all those bullet holes." She could hear the amusement in his voice and could see the half hidden smirk on his lips, and she got angry. Grinding her teeth, she let out a small sigh and turned around.

"Just tell Stefan to give me a call when he gets back." Her heels clicked against the wood as she exited the living room, but she could hear Damon following behind her.

"Now what would be so important that little Miss. Caroline would venture all the way down to the Salvatore home to ask, hmm?"

_Damn_, she thought. Her presence only served to make Stefan's lunatic of a brother curious. And a curious Damon was never good. Her feet halted and she let out a calming sigh, turning around slowly to face him. He was leaning against the wood that connected the living room to the foyer, relaxed and posed but eyes glued on her. This was the main reason she didn't like Damon – he scared her. Because even when Damon looked relaxed, he was actually preparing to pounce. His presence made her jumpy and she tried her hardest not to let him see it.

"It's nothing; I just wanted to get his opinion on something," she insisted, shaking her head and trying to look as unconcerned as possible. But as she turned her body towards the front door, she saw him run forward out of the corner of her eye. By the time she was facing forward, he was already there, inches from her. His sudden movements surprised her and she couldn't help but take a few steps back. He followed her – backing her up against a wall.

"Hmh, you know I can tell when you're lying." There was a fake, hostile, humorous tone to his voice. "But let me try and guess. Does it have something to do with Tyler?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat, staring straight forward as he approached her. His body was mere inches from hers invading every inch of her personal space. His breath was hot on her face as he leaned his head down to look directly into her eyes.

"Remember when I told you not to be friends with him?" The cold whisper sent chills down her back – and she could feel her heart rate picking up. Damon knew it too because a small smirk spread across his lips as he continued, "That it would cause more trouble than it would solve?" Caroline tried very hard not to act intimidated around Damon Salvatore but she couldn't help the fear that immobilized her. Although she was too stubborn to admit it – Damon terrified her. Her body tensed in preparation for an attack, her back flat against the wall, her palms pressing against the wood next to her body.

"And remember how you didn't listen to me and then you got captured and tortured, and then my brother and I had to risk our necks to come save yours?" He talked to her as he would a small child and it pissed her off. "That was unpleasant, and if you had just listened to me, we might not have this problem right now. So I suggest if you have something to say, you say it to me."

That same fake smile spread on his lips as he lifted his hand. Caroline immediately closed her eyes expecting to get hit but instead Damon brushed a lock of hair back behind her ear. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until her lungs tightened. Very slowly, she released the air she was holding and opened her eyes to stare up at Damon who raised his brows waiting for an answer.

"The wolves are demanding the moonstone back."

Damon made a small face and took a step back, crossing his arms across his chest. "Well we don't have it."

"Well I don't think they believe us."

"Next time you see Tyler, tell him to tell his buddies that an ancient has the moonstone. They are more than welcomed to try and take it back." The smile on his face was genuine this time, as though the thought of the pack trying to take the stone back amused the hell out of him. He walked towards the front door and turned around as she made a soft noise of discontent.

"I- I'm not exactly speaking to Tyler right now," she said shamefully, at which Damon let out a small laugh.

"Now you decide to take my advice? Well, it's kind of late for that Caroline. You're our acting liaison, congrats-"

Before he could finish his statement, the front door was suddenly pushed opened. Caroline distinctively heard another crash from the living room as a window broke and another sound towards the top of the stairs. Seconds later, two men jumped down from the second floor, coming up behind Damon. The confusion and shock had both vampires stunned for a brief second and that second gave the intruders the opening they needed.

Shots rang out throughout the house and Caroline let out a half yell as Damon's chest became littered with bullet holes. The smell of blood instantly filled the house. Caroline tired to get to Damon but her path was blocked by the man who broke in through the living room. He raised a gun and pulled the trigger, but the blond moved away from the path and disappeared in seconds.

"Find her!" Someone screamed out.

Caroline pressed her body against the wall, sucking in a few calming breaths and trying to figure out what the hell just happened. She heard a groan and peeked her head over to find Damon attempting to stand up. Blood dripped from his shirt and began to puddle on the floor. He let out a rough growl and just as another gun was pointed at him, he pounced digging his fangs into the attacker's neck and ripping out the vein. Blood spurted from the wound all over the wall. Damon's mouth was dripping with fresh blood – the color matching the hue of his angry eyes.

Someone came up from behind and grabbed him, wrapping his arms around his neck and dragging Damon back. They slammed into the wooden loveseat positioned against the wall which splintered into pieces. The guy was no match for Damon though and soon the vampire had the man slammed up against the wall, his fingers wrapped in a death grip around his neck. He was about to rip the assailant's heart out but stopped when a second man stuck a needle into his neck.

When Damon staggered onto his knees and a stake was pulled out, Caroline finally pushed away from the wall.

Her eyes were blood-red as she pushed the guy out of the way, watching with great satisfaction as he slammed painfully into the wall – hard enough to crack the woodwork. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw three more men enter the household and she knew she wouldn't be able to take them all on, plus protect Damon at the same time. So she grabbed her creator and hauled him up the stairs and into a bedroom. She dropped him to the ground and spun around, quickly locking the door and pushing a heavy wooden desk over. Then she ran over to the side window and pushed a bookcase in front of it. The room was barricaded and they couldn't get in – at least not at the current moment. Only when she was certain that there was no other way to get into the bedroom did she return to Damon - who was still lying on the ground muttering some choice words.

"What the hell was that!" he groaned out, his shirt soaked through, blood smeared across the floor. Caroline shook her head and bent over, lifting his shirt up a little bit to see the damage. Five wooden bullets were wedge into his chest, each with a trail spreading across his chest. Caroline quickly glanced up at Damon's face, noticing he seemed a little out of it.

"What did they shoot you up with?" she asked, digging her fingers into one of the holes and ripping the bullet out. Damon let out a pained groan and squeezed his eyes shut. He sent a few curses at her, apparently not pleased with her rough touch. The wooden bullet fell to the floor, clinkering softly before rolling away. She moved onto the second hole, digging her fingers into his skin once again.

"Ugh, I-I think it was vervain," he winced as another bullet dropped to the floor.

"I thought you were drinking it – to build a tolerance."

"Yeah, apparently not enough." She glanced up and noticed his eyes getting heavier. She worked a bit faster, moving onto the third hole. The previous two were beginning to close already, but the skin was still covered in a bloody mess. She had to get the bullets out before Damon lost too much blood. As she moved to work on the forth bullet, someone began to slam on the bedroom door. The door rattled and the table shook slightly but the door stayed barricaded.

"Open this door!" they shouted out her and distinctively she heard someone yell out, "No! Don't waste the bullets on the door."

Caroline felt her fear spike when more pounding sounded against the frail door. She quickly pulled the last bullet out and moved to kneel besides Damon on the floor. Her bloody hands found his face and she slapped him softly to try and wake him. "Damon! Damon, wake up!"

The man let out a small groan, but didn't open his eyes. Caroline bit her lip as the pounding got harder. She stood back up and turned around, sucking in a few deep breaths and trying to think of a game play. Her purse was downstairs – her cell phone inside of it. She couldn't call for help and Damon was in no condition to fight right now – it would seem she was by herself for the time being.

Her eyes flew towards the door when the pounding suddenly stopped. _Why did they stop? What are they up to?_ Swallowing the sudden apprehension that lodged itself in her throat, she ran back to Damon and helped him sit up dragging his heavy ass over to one of the wooden chairs near the door. She shook him and called out his name waiting until he opened his eyes back up.

"Damon – Damon, listen. I need you to do something okay?"

Damon let out a small snort – sounding somewhere between a snore and a groan and suddenly jerked awake, looking up at her with tired eyes.

"No, it's fine – I got this, you just stay here," he insisted as he pushed to stand up. But he was on his feet for no longer than a second before his knees sagged and he fell back down onto the chair. "Alright, never mind. I can't seem to walk." He stated the obvious, eyes wide but still unfocused.

"Damon, I'm going to take care of this. When I leave, I need you to push the desk back in front of the door. You got that?"

"You can't die; Elena would just kill me." He slurred, leaning his head against the wall.

Caroline slapped him again on the cheek, "You're going to die anyway if you don't help me so do as I say." Thankfully her ex managed to keep his eyes opened for the next few minutes – the impending threat enough to burst a bit of adrenaline into his system. Caroline moved quickly, pushing the desk back just enough so she could open the door and slip through. Damon, who was leaning on the desk, grabbed her arm and squeezed it hard preventing her from moving for a brief second.

"Caroline, be careful."

Caroline was shocked to hear the sincerity, but didn't take the time to dwell on it. Within seconds she stood on the other side of the door, and mere seconds after she had closed it, she heard a hard _thunk _against the wood indicating that Damon had successfully managed to push the desk back into place.

But now she was by herself. In a house filled with enemies.

But the thing that unnerved her the most was the silence. Whoever they were switched from forceful to passive in seconds flat. Her ears picked up on movement downstairs and outside, but over the sound of her own heart, she couldn't get specific details. As she carefully walked forward, her eyes searching every shadow and every corner, she wondered who the hell these people were. Knowing the Salvatore's it could be anything! Either Klaus or Elijah, or pissed off witches, spiteful vampires, the fricken government here to expose vampires – she honestly wouldn't be surprised.

But the answer was there no matter how hard she desperately tried to ignore it.

Her movements were silent and as she rounded a corner and came to the top of the stairs; she was unnerved by the fact that she had yet to run into any more pursuers. It was then that she smelled it – the scent became so strong that it dominated every other scent within the home. A sudden fear seized her and held her frozen in place.

Gasoline.

"Smoke 'em out," she heard a man say and seconds later, the living room was in flames. _Move Caroline! Take them out! _Caroline managed to pull herself out of her daze and moved quickly, jumping over the side of the railing and dropping onto the first floor. There was no time for hesitation, no time for morals or ethics – and because they were desperate, she released the animal. Caroline still wasn't big on killing people, not like Damon or even Stefan, but if she didn't end this, neither Damon nor she would survive. Her instincts took over everything else, and she descended upon them like a wild storm.

It was about quick kills – the twisting of necks, a sharp blow through the chest cavity – collapse the lung, pull out the heart, crush the trachea. There was no time to feed, but as her fingers and hands became saturated with warm, fresh blood she could feel her excitement greaten. The vampire wanted to drink, wanted to enjoy the new slaughter and dance and rejoice in a haze of raining blood – but the ring of gunshots was a good reminder that she couldn't.

The fire was spreading, burning through the furniture and old books. She could feel the heat of the flames against her back, but she ignored it – moving onto her next victim. They were all shouting, obviously panicked now that she was kicking ass, but she could tell by the look in their eyes that they had been prepared for this – prepared to be overpowered and to lose some of their own. Somewhere she even felt a little pity for them, but it didn't last.

She picked up one of the charging men and threw him into the living room. His body was engulfed with flames and his screams rang out as his clothes and skin began to burn. Caroline was about to charge forward but paused when she felt someone jumped onto her back. His arms looped around her neck, squeezing with surprising strength for such a skinny, wimpy looking guy. A sharp pain spread from her shoulder and she noticed with great horror a syringe plunged into her body. She slammed her back into the wall, crushing the wood, trying to get the man off of her, but he continued to hold on a ride her like a horse. She attempted to throw him off, but his position on her back gave him control.

A sharp, numbing pain started to spread from her shoulders, down her arms and contorting her chest. She let out a pained gasp as she bucked the man again, failing to shake him from her. With each passing second, she could feel her muscles tensing and her body growing heavier; her reflexes slowing down. And still the man continued to push more vervain into her system. Hissing, she attempted once more to slam her back into the wall. But because she was so concerned with getting the man off her back, she forgot about her front and cried out when three wooden bullets lodged into her chest.

"Oi! Watch it!" the man on her back exclaimed exhaustedly.

A sharp curse flew from her lips as she felt herself fall onto one knee, the vervain taking affect. Her body suddenly felt tons heavier and her lungs seemed to constrict with every breath. Vervain had a different affect when administered directly into the blood. And like a horrible and deadly allergic reaction, Caroline could feel her throat beginning to close, her vision fading in and out, and her mouth dry in thirst. Her body flared up and she groaned out in horrible pain, her skin on fire. She was on the floor before she realized it – squirming and gasping out in pain.

The wimpy boy who had jumped her, bent over a little to get a good look at her, a proud smile on his face.

"You're definitely strong sweetheart – had to drain the entire syringe" he remarked, brushing her hair away from her face. Caroline snapped her teeth at him, almost succeeding in ripping his fingers off but he moved back before she could, letting out a cowardly shrill. Two men moved forward, kicking her in the gut to get her to remain submissive. They pushed her on her stomach and began wrapping chains around her wrists. Her mind became unfocused, and she started having trouble putting two and two together – teetering on the brink of unconsciousness.

But before she blacked out completely, she heard a soft laugh and heavy footsteps. Her head was turned to the side, her cheek flat against the wooden floor. With the remaining energy she had, she reopened her eyes and felt her stomach drop and her entire body tense in panic. She had hoped she would never see his face ever again, never hear his voice, or be the victim of his cruel 'games'. She let out a small desperate cry as he reached out to stroke her hair.

"Hello, sweet pea."

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_Keep those reviews acomin'. They inspire me to keep writing. Also, if you're wondering on the status of this fic - or looking for an update or news on how the next chapter is coming along, check my profile - I'll post some updates. Thanks guys!_


	4. IV

_Don't worry guys, Tyler will return soon._

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_You seem afraid; don't be alarmed.  
It's only the face of things to come._  
(Illumine) _Karnivool_

IV.

Their happy getaway was pretty much ruined when Damon called the night before to inform them that Elijah didn't want to protect Elena at all – that he still planned on killing her and breaking the curse. But the worse thing was that Elena had known all about it from the very beginning. She didn't care what Stefan said to try and convince her – she would not regret the decision she made. It wasn't just him she was protecting – it was everyone! Bonnie, Jeremy, Jenna, Caroline, Damon – all of them would be safe now. But Stefan seemed convinced that everyone would be protected without her deal with the devil. But after everything – after loosing Vicki, after Caroline turning, after Jenna stabbing herself – it was hard to believe that everything would be fine.

It _was_ tragic, but in the end one death was better than multiple deaths. He just couldn't see that because he cared for her too much. And she could sympathize with him – if the roles were switched, she would be just as angry.

She shifted in her seat to look at him, a small frown on her face, "Are you going to stay mad at me forever?"

His grip on the steering wheel tightened, "I'm not angry Elena, just frustrated."

"I know, I get that – but you need to understand that I wasn't worried about _you _when I made the deal."

She paused for a brief second as he turned his head to glance at her.

"I mean… you and Damon would at least stand a chance against an ancient – but Jenna and Jeremy; Bonnie, Caroline – they would be dead within seconds. I have to protect my family – they have nothing to do with any of this."

"You speak as though this is your fault-,"

"I'm the doppelganger – this is my responsibility, but I'm not going to endanger the ones I love in order to run away from something we probably would never be able to stop anyway."

Stefan shook his head, refusing to accept her explanation.

"Stefan, I don't want to die – but until we come up with something better – it's the safest option. I mean, if I hadn't made that deal, what happened with the wolves could have ended differently."

"Elena, I'm not going to approve of the decision based on 'what-if's'."

"I just want you to _try_ and understand why I did this."

They turned down the road that would lead to the Salvatore mansion. Stefan took a few seconds to gather his thoughts. "I understand Elena. But you do realize that both Damon and I will do anything to protect you – we _will_ die before we allow you to."

She was about to open her mouth, but got distracted when they turned the final corner. Instead, she let out a distressed squeak when she saw the Salvatore boarding home partly on fire. Black smoke was everywhere – flames at the back of the house reached up towards the sky in a rhythmic dance. Thankfully not the entire house was lit, but the fire was spreading quickly. Stefan didn't say a word as he stopped the car and got out, his eyes wide as he took in his surroundings. Elena pulled out her phone and dialed the fire department, her voice boarding hysteria.

"The fire department please," she croaked into the phone, quickly giving the operator the address before looking up at Stefan. The vampire took in a deep breath though his nose. Seconds later, he glanced back at Elena. "Stay here," he ordered, moving forward.

Elena, who still had the phone to her ear, cried out, "Stefan! What are you doing!"

Stefan looked back, panic in his eyes. "Damon – he's still in there; I can smell him. Just stay here!"

He ran forward closer to the front door.

"Just hurry!" Elena yelled into the phone before hanging up. "Be careful, Stefan!" She cried out, biting her lip as she watched her boyfriend enter the burning house.

Stefan ran in through the front door and immediately paused in his steps, staring at the carnage around him. The fire had basically consumed the entire living room and had started to spread through the foyer. He put his hands up to protect his face as debris fell from the ceiling. The smell – it waft around the room, pungent and bitter to his nose – gasoline and blood. At first he assumed Damon had gotten piss ass drunk and managed to actually burn the house down, but now he knew whoever had done this, it had been intentional. The gasoline was sharp and dumped everywhere; the blood was equally as powerful and when he took a closer look, he could see body parts and corpses burning on the floor.

A terrible feeling formed in his gut, but he ignored it for now, trying to find Damon. He sniffed him out and moved quickly up the stairs. When he found the right door, he tried to open it but noticed that something was blocking it from the other side. He pushed against it with all his strength and after three pushes, the desk moved back just enough for him to squeeze through the door. Smoke was everywhere and it made his eyes water slightly – thankfully smoke inhalation wouldn't have too much of an effect on him or Damon. He found his brother on the ground seconds later and ran over to him. Drying blood coated his shirt but no open wounds were anywhere on him. But Stefan could smell the vervain pumped into his system, and as he leaned down and shook his older brother, Damon let out a small groan.

"Damon, get up," Stefan ordered, pulling him up and positioning his one arm over his own shoulder. Damon muttered something unintelligible, but tried to help as much as he could. Stefan wrapped his arm around his brother's waist and hoisted him out of the room, kicking the desk out of the way and proceeding through the swinging door. They made it down the stairs, slower than usual but eventually made it out of the smoking building in tact. By the time they got outside, Damon was coming to a bit more. Elena ran forward and helped Damon to the ground.

"I'm getting really sick and tired of waking up in half-burning buildings," he muttered, coughing softly and trying to keep his eyes open.

"What the hell happened?" Elena demanded, glancing between the eldest brother and the burning building. Stefan was about to ask as well, but looked to the distance when he heard approaching sirens. Elena knelt down next to Damon and glanced back to ask Stefan but noticed with great horror that he had disappeared.

"Stefan!"

She took a few steps forward but became distracted when she noticed track marks in the dirt. It had to have been made by some kind of car that sped so fast away from the area that it left indents within the dirt. _What the hell happened? _She thought again.

Stefan returned about a minute later, grabbing onto her shoulders and pushing her back away from the home. She held onto his sides, staring up into his face with worry and alarm. "Are you okay?" He nodded, a grim expression on his face. "There are bodies in there." At her horrified expression he continued, "They're dead – I don't know who they are, but we can't have the fire department asking questions. I took care of them as best I could." Meaning he threw every piece into the fire. She knew if someone did notice something, he would compel them.

The couple returned to Damon who had managed to stay in a seated position. Stefan knelt down besides him and gripped his shoulder. "Damon, what happened?"

"I honestly have no idea – they just came bursting through from everywhere."

His eyes gazed off towards the house, the reflection of the fire shining in his dark eyes. He glanced down at his shirt and made a face, letting out an irritated sigh. A fire truck pulled up to the house and as men started to get out, Elena tore herself away from the couple to go talk to one of the men. Damon shakily stood up and managed to get his footing.

Seconds later, his eyes widened and he looked towards the house, making a face at Stefan.

"What?" the brother asked.

"Where's Caroline?"

Stefan shook his head confused. "What-?"

"Caroline was here looking for you when they attacked."

Stefan took a quick second to comprehend his words before he glanced at Elena who was still distracted conversing with the firefighter. He stepped forward, smelling the air and trying to pick up on the blonde's scent. It was faint – a few traces of blood inside the house but not enough to be her entire body. But he could also smell a few drops near the porch – trailing onto the front yard and then it disappeared completely. His eyes focused on the track marks in the dirt and he turned around, cursing softly.

"Blondie's going to be more trouble than she's worth," Damon sighed out, glaring at the men who were attempting to stop the fire.

"Damon," Stefan warned as he squeezed the bridge of his nose, trying to stay calm and think about what the hell happened to Caroline. "Why would they only take Caroline? Not you too?"

Damon shrugged, "They apparently didn't want both of us – seeing as they planned to burn me to a hot crisp."

"Damn it!" Stefan yelled out, spinning on his heel to turn his back to the fire. This was his responsibility – he had promised Caroline that he would protect her from all this and so far, he hadn't done a very bang up job. Just a few days ago, the same thing happened-

At the thought, he turned to look at Damon.

"You think-?"

Damon nodded, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Oh yeah."

A deadly smirk spread across his lips as he turned to look at Stefan, "It seems that we're going to have to rip apart every single one of them." He raised his brow challenging Stefan to disagree. But the youngest didn't say a word – a silent agreement.

Elena jogged back over to the two, eyeing Damon. "Are you okay?"

"Mmm," he responded running a hand through his dark hair.

"What happened?"

"Three guesses Elena?" Damon shot back with an amused grin.

"They took Caroline again," Stefan informed her sadly.

Elena narrowed her eyes in confusion and shook her head in disbelief. "Jules? What, why!"

"Caroline said something about the moonstone. They seem to think we have it."

Elena began to panic, staring at the ground with horrified eyes. Stefan approached her and pulled her against his body, his one hand coming to rest on the back of her head, his other holding her tightly around the shoulders. "We'll get her back, I promise."

"So I'm guessing _this_ time, the threat is 'give us the moonstone or your friend gets it'?"

Last time it was 'give us Tyler or your friend gets it'.

"These wolves aren't very original when it comes to planning. You should never do the same trick twice."

Both Stefan and Elena glared at his dry statement and in mock surrender, he put his hands up.

"Come on, we'll sniff her out. They couldn't have gotten too far."

Stefan glanced towards the burning house and then at Elena. "We've got some problems here first. I have to make sure they don't find anything suspicious – such as a dead body on the floor somewhere."

Damon raised a brow and then nodded in agreement.

"And I have to take Elena back home – make sure she's safe."

Elena, being Elena opened her mouth to argue, but before she could start Damon let out a small groan.

"Alright, you deal with the technicalities – I'll go play bloodhound."

And Damon, being Damon left Stefan to clean up the mess. Within seconds, the guy had disappeared.

Elena looked up to Stefan, fear shining in through her eyes. "Stefan – what-"

Stefan put his hands on her shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze, "Elena, I will get Caroline back, I promise." In what condition though, he wasn't sure. But he couldn't lose his composure – not now and especially not in front of Elena. He straightened his back and turned to look at the dying fire, his mind racing with what the next few hours would bring.

xxx

Her mouth and throat were painfully dry – so dry that it hurt to suck in any little amount of air. But there was something cold and wet dripping down her neck and chest, and at first she thought it might be water, but the smell told her differently – it was blood; it was _her_ blood.

Caroline let out a gurgled groan and opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings. She was underground somewhere – in some kind of place that resemble the Lockwood mansion servant quarters. But it wasn't the same place – she had memorized that place inside and out when she had sat with Tyler during his transformation. But this place, the floors were dirt and old stone – ancient wooden chairs were positioned in random places, but other than that and a few stone steps, nothing else acted as décor – except her.

She was hanging from the ceiling, her wrists drawn above her head and cuffed to chains that were attached to the stone in the ceiling. When she bent her ankles, her toes just barely brushed against the dirt ground. She attempted to look up at the chains, but immediately stopped when she felt a sharp pain in her neck. She looked down and cried out in alarm, noticing a collar-like contraption around her neck. Her breathing picked up as frightened noises tore from her mouth – tears already streaming down her cheeks from both the pain and terror. _This can't be happening!_ She thought to herself, tugging as gentle as possible to test the chains that constrained her. _Not again; this can't be happening again. _The denial repeated itself over and over again in her mind, but no matter how many times she squeezed her eyes shut, when she reopened them the scenery didn't changed.

"Stay calm, Caroline," she reminded herself, sucking in a few hasty breaths and trying to gain some sort of standing. "You can get through this." The quiver in her voice was unconvincing. First she tried to get a better understanding of her environment, but there really wasn't anything that could enlighten her. It was dark – the only form of light peeking through the cracks of the closed hatchway door. If she could only get free from these chains, she could easily escape this place. The temptation of freedom only managed to further irritate her.

The chains were tightly secured around her wrists and the skin felt charred and raw. _Vervain. The chains are coated in vervain. _The bullets were still lodged in her chest; she could feel them deep in her body. Her body constantly tried to mend the broken ribs and punctured skin but the commodities lodged inside her prevented it from doing so. The blood was dry now, which meant that the incident at the Salvatore manor happened a few hours ago. The blood was dry on her chest and stomach and stiff on her halter top. But she barely acknowledged the pain in her chest and wrists – because her neck was currently screaming out in agony.

She twisted ever so slightly, wincing at the pain that shot out from multiple origins, and tried to glance down to examine the device. Being in her position, she couldn't see it all too well, but she could feel the wooden pikes lodged deep into her neck. Every time she moved, the pikes would twist harder against her skin. She let out a small whimper and held her breath, biting her tongue to keep her from screaming out in terror.

A loud clang caused her eyes to quickly reopen, the air held inside her lungs releasing in a powerful and terrified gasp. Light filled the room and for a brief moment she was blinded by it, but just as quickly as it came, it left and she was in darkness once more.

"Well, she's awake," the familiar voice sent chills down her spine. Slowly she raised her eyes up to look at him with a dark expression. "Don't look so mad." He ordered her, stepping into the middle of the room with a lantern in his hand. He set it done on one of the stone columns, the small light shining brightly in the dark cavern.

Brady stood a few feet away from her, a grand smirk on his face. Behind him stood two others – one she recognized immediately as the bitch (no pun intended) Jules. But the second one seemed unfamiliar – he was lanky and twitchy and completely not werewolf like. He bit his thumb nail as his eyes roamed over her hanging body, a sick excitement displayed behind blue eyes.

Brady stepped forward and tilted his head up to look at her only stopping when he was inches from her body. "You know for how much you suckers like to talk, you sure are slow." He blinked at her as she winced, leaning her head down and breathing through the pain in order to glare at him.

"What's the matter, you didn't get your ass kicked enough last time?" She provoked him; something she realized was a completely stupid thing to do. She was in no position to be cocky around him; she was the one hanging from the ceiling by chains with blood draining and pooling into a puddle underneath of her. Still, his arrogance pissed her off and although she knew aggravating him was foolish, she basked in the glory of the insult.

But he didn't go for it; instead he stood his ground – that same smile on his face. Finally, he stepped even closer, sniffing the skin of her neck briefly before turning his eyes to hers. "We never finished. Did you think we were done?" His voice was cold and sent shivers across her flushed skin. Without realizing it, she held her breath, closing her eyes as he continued. "You left before we even had a chance to really begin."

He stepped away from her this time, reaching behind him to pull something from the back of his jeans.

"However, this time things will be different. This time, I'm looking for something other than just plain sadistic pleasure. I want something; you know where it is and you are going to tell me how I can get it back. And secondly," he added after a brief pause. "Secondly, this time you're not going to leave until I'm finished."

He pulled out a gun that was held by the back of his jeans and Caroline could feel her body tense. It was the same one from last time. Brady let out a small laugh, "Remember this?" He asked her before he lifted the gun and fired a shot. Caroline let out a pained scream, another bullet hole piecing through her stomach.

Brady tilted his head as he watched the blood soak through her shirt and trail down the fabric. "Mm, I've missed that sound."

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_Seriously, no new episode until April freaking 9th was it? Ugh. Please keep up those wonderful reviews.  
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	5. V

_Alright, thank you guys so much for the awesome reviews yet again – I'd like to address some of them though. This fiction is first and foremost a "suspense/drama" fic; I'm trying to keep it as in character as possible and that means including the entire cast as if it were an actual episode on Vampire Diaries. There will be romance, believe me – later in the story there's going to be an arch of wonderful romance, but Tyler still needs to go through his transgression as a character and figure out what he wants and if he's willing to sacrifice things in order to get that. But Caroline is the main character in this and right now, if this was considered an "arch" it's about Brady's unfinished business and her struggles. I'm not one to rush things because I believe it builds intensity and I'm definitely not one who will rush the story just to get to the romance. _

_As for this chapter, some will be disappointed because Tyler is not in it – he is however in the next one and will be in all if not most of the following. Also I'm not too sure if some people will be "upset" by Damon's behavior in this chapter – Damon is such a complex and bi-polar character; yes, he does care about Caroline somewhat – but not as much as he cares about Elena or himself. There are only tiny, tiny moments where Damon will actually show he cares. Honestly, I don't even really know if in the show he does care about Caroline – he __**did**__ try to kill her twice. So, don't misjudge Damon or how I'm trying to characterize him – there are times when he does care and times when he doesn't; he can switch off his emotions remember._

_So yeah – I wrote this mainly because I didn't want to disappoint anyone, but I wanted everyone to understand my writing style and view of the story. Please do enjoy the new chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it and I promise, to compensate the lack of Tyler – I will work extra hard to get the next one up. Next chapter is centered on him and the next chapter is when the fun really begins so stick with me!_

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_No one's here and I fall into myself.  
This truth drives me into madness.  
I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away._  
-Whisper (Evanescence)

V.

Finding and rescuing the damsel in distress was obviously not the first thing on Damon's 'to do list'. No, his priorities were a little more self-centered at the moment, such as finding something tasty to munch on before he decided to swoop in as vampire-superman and save the day. If he were to be completely honest, the little tussle that occurred back in his (now-burning) home took more energy out of him than he'd like to admit. So after he compelled some random guy to give him the clean shirt off his back, he strolled down a random street, whistling a soft tune.

His pants started to vibrate, forcing him to stop in mid-step. As he reached into his pocket and glanced at the name on his cellular device, he rolled his eyes and let out a soft sigh. Flipping it open, he plastered the fake smile onto his face, "Why hello, Stefan."

"Damon, I'm taking Elena back to her house – have you found anything yet?'

He hesitated, "Uh, yes – yeah loads. Definitely werewolves – and I have confirmed…that they have indeed taken Caroline…" he tailed off.

"Damon, have you done anything?" Stefan obviously could hear the lie in his answer (not that it was too hard not to), and in turn Damon could hear the exasperating disappointment in his. He took a second before admitting guiltily.

"No, not exactly-"

"Damon-!"

"Listen though – don't get in a twist. I just need to get some take out before I go sniffing around, alright?"

"What are you-"

"Stefan, my chest just recently resembled a block of cheese – if I don't feed, I'm either going to be too lazy to go out searching, or I'll fall over as soon as a hungry wolf decides to give a little huff and puff in my direction."

"Just hurry Damon," Stefan's irritated voice ordered before the phone click dead.

xxx

Elena sat in her home, pacing back and forth in the living glancing every five seconds at the clock on the wall and then down at her phone. This was ridiculous – she didn't want to be here; she wanted to do something productive – help in someway possible! _You are helping Elena. _Stefan had told her before he left to go search. _We need someone to stay nearby just in case Caroline or the pack calls. _His lie, while pathetic, just reminded her that Stefan simply wanted to avoid her getting hurt in any way. She knew that they were faster and therefore more productive if they went alone – but she just wished she hadn't been put under house arrest.

"What's going on?" Jonathan walked into the room and leaned against the archway, tilting his head at his daughter. Elena raised dark eyes to his and scowled silently, shaking her head and typing a quick message into her phone.

"You could lie and tell me it's nothing, but I can see through that."

"And how is that," she spat back, turning to face him with narrowed eyes. "Because you know me so well you can interpret every emotion on my face? I'm sure you can figure out what I'm feeling now."

He didn't respond, so she did for him, "It's called annoyance; go away."

She turned her back to him and bit her lip, wondering where the hell everyone was.

"Elena, all I want is a reason as to why you haven't blinked or sat down within the last hour."

There was a small smirk on his face as she turned to glower at him with a sour look.

"Hey Elena, I was thinking about ordering- oh, you're here." Jenna faltered as she stopped to stand in the living room with the duo. She gave Jonathan a disgusted look before turning to regard Elena. "Never mind – I think I just lost my appetite. He bothering you?"

"Immensely," Elena confirmed, running a stressed hand through her hair.

"I was just trying to make casual conversation," Jonathan said, defending himself but Elena could hear the humor in his tone and it pissed her off.

"Oh, hey that's great – when did you say you were leaving again?" Jenna directed his way.

Jonathan was about to open his mouth when the doorbell rang. Elena managed to get there first and when she opened it, she glanced up to look into the worried eyes of Alaric Saltzman. He walked into the home, his attention focused on Elena. "Hey, are you okay – Damon said-," but he grew silent when he noticed both Jon and Jenna standing in the room.

Jenna walked forward and he passed by Elena to greet her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. They talked to each other for a minute or two before Jenna nodded and walked towards the kitchen. Elena shut the door and leaned against it as Ric stood in-between her and Jon.

"Hm, now I know something is up," Jon remarked. "Why else would you be here?"

"I'm here to make sure everyone stays safe – we all know how unskilled you are in that field."

Jon let out a small chuckle, stepping forward and crossing his arms over his chest. "Without _my _ring, you would be dead by now – just remember that." And with that, he walked into the kitchen to bother Jenna some more. Alaric took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and then turned to Elena. "What's going on?"

"Caroline was taken again and Stefan and Damon probably sent you to make sure I didn't go off and do something stupid." She reasoned, hitting the crown of her head on the wooden door lightly. Ric stepped up to her and tilted his head in questioning, "Wait, the lycanthropes? They took her again? Why?"

Elena shook her head, "I…I don't know. I think it has something to do with the moonstone; and probably something to do with revenge. I just can't- Caroline was so traumatized by what they did to her last time; I just can't imagine…"

Alaric took a small step forward as Elena grew silent, shaking her head and staring at the floor lost. He reached out, but hesitated for a second before placing his hand on her shoulder and smiling softly. "I'm sure she'll be okay," he made an attempt to cheer her up, but Elena could hear the doubt in his voice. Her grip was tight around her cell phone, waiting – waiting for anything. Waiting for Damon or Stefan to call her and tell her that Caroline was fine; waiting for the wolves to call her with an ultimatum; waiting for something! Anything that would fast forward the hours, but her phone remained silently placid.

Muffled voices on the other side of the door alerted her to the arrival of Jeremy and Bonnie, and she quickly spun around to open it. Jeremy looked alarmed at her abrupt behavior, but stayed quiet attempting to read his sister's expression. Bonnie on the other hand looked terrified and worried.

"What's happening?" she asked as soon as she made eye contact with her best friend.

xxx

They picked up on the trail – starting at their house then branching off, but they had covered their trail well and by the time the sun died and darkness took over, they had only managed to follow the track for a few miles. Eventually the evidence just ended and they couldn't figure out which way to go next – so Stefan decided to fall back on a few desperate tactics. They were currently running through the forest, heading back towards the clearing by Wickery Falls where they had taken Caroline last time.

His mind was racing as his body sped passed trees. Why would they take Caroline _again? _Especially after the negative result it caused last time – were they really this angry, or stupid? _Desperate_. The word echoed though his mind – did the wolves really fear or need the moonstone that much that they would risk their lives again? Stefan knew from experience that wolves were arrogant and proud creatures, always needing to prove their dominance – but in reality, they were about as powerful as an angry pit-bull on a night that wasn't a full moon. Sure, they could easily take down and wound humans, but against a vampire? No chance.

But they weren't stupid, despite their actions. They had managed to take Caroline twice already and had almost killed Damon. In numbers they were strong and as he admitted it to himself, he could feel the small prickle of panic spread across his body.

The campsite was empty – and the only thing that proved that the werewolves had in fact been there was the pile of ash within the campfire, as well as the distinct smell of old blood. But the trailer had been moved and there was no human in sight. Stefan came to a halt and leaned over, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. He tried to even his breathing, but with each path that turned out to be a dead end, his patience ran thinner and thinner.

Damon's footsteps walked passed him as he looked around, but Stefan spoke up, "There's nothing here."

Damon let out a small sound of agreement, staring off in the distance. "Her scent is gone – as is Jules's. Wherever they went, they sure didn't want us to follow."

Stefan glared at the ground in silence. Caroline was _his _responsibility; he had made a promise to both her and Elena that he would protect her. After the first time, Stefan made another solid promise to himself to watch out for Caroline more. But she was gone and Stefan felt as though he was drowning in guilt. "Damn it!' He growled out, standing back up and pacing towards a tree.

"What's our next move?" Damon asked - his voice too composed considering the situation.

Stefan pulled out his phone and attempted to call Caroline again, shaking his head in desperation when her voicemail came up. _Hey! This is Caroline – I'm obviously ignoring your phone call or doing something more important right now – Leave a message! _Stefan let out a sigh and shook his head, having absolutely no idea where they should look next. Seconds after he lowered the phone, it started vibrating in his hand. He furrowed his brow and looked at the text message.

_Bonnie has an idea…_

xxx

"Do you think this will work?" Elena asked as she handed Bonnie another white candle. Bonnie, Jeremy, and she had situated themselves in Elena's room. Alaric was doing his best to distract both Jenna and Jon, but Elena had locked her door – just in case.

Four candles surrounded the witch, and she had positioned herself within the middle, her legs crossed and a small teddy bear in her lap. The stuffed bear belonged to Caroline – one she owned since childhood and thus very sentimental to her. It was to act as the temporary connection, and hopefully it would be enough to make some sort of link with their blond friend. Jeremy leaned his shoulder up against the wall watching Bonnie with nervous eyes as Elena took a seat on the bed.

"I'm not sure – blood would be better."

"That's a conversation I'd rather avoid with the sheriff," Elena admitted and Bonnie nodded her head in agreement. "So what are you going to try to do?"

"I'm going to try and tap into Caroline's essence – attempt to form a connection. I might be able to see where she's being held, perhaps even send a message." Bonnie sounded unsure, but her eyes were confident.

"Just be careful," Jeremy quickly added in, shuffling a little on his feet. Elena glanced over at him for a brief second before nodding in agreement.

"Here goes nothing." Bonnie blew the air out of her lungs and then sucked in slowly, flexing her fingers before closing her eyes. Her face became placid – her body relaxed and poised. Her fingers lay on the bear and within seconds, she could feel the magic taking form. The candles surrounding her suddenly lit and burned brightly. Soft incantations breathed from her lips as she felt through the webs of memories and ancient influences that were attached to this small stuffed toy. Her breathing picked up slightly as she reached out to the heavens and spinning world, searching through every crack and hole and shadow. Her presence was everywhere, but nowhere at the same time. And as her hands tightened around the bear, she could feel her whispered words coming out more rapidly.

The fire grew; lighting up the room and making the shadows grow. But still Bonnie remained grounded in this deep trance. Jeremy glanced over at Elena, anxious but silent. Seconds continued to tick by and still nothing changed in Bonnie's behavior. He was beginning to think that the spell hadn't work and they would need to find some other way to get Caroline back when Bonnie let out a surprised gasp. He looked at Elena as she stood up, desperation in her eyes.

"Bonnie?" she asked as both brother and sister stepped forward carefully.

The girl let out another powerful gasp as her eyes squeezed shut – her face contorting into a pained grimace. A small whimper left her and they watched as her hands gradually began to tighten around the bear, until she was strangling the animal by the neck. She bowed her head and continued to mutter in ancient tongues.

"Bonnie," Jeremy called out a bit louder, turning to look at his sister. "We should stop her." He pleaded as the girl let out another shuddering cry.

Elena hesitated, biting her lip in fear. "She knows what she's doing; just give her more time."

"Elena!" Jeremy argued but silenced immediately when Bonnie let out one final gasp of pain before slumping on the floor – the candles extinguished.

"Bonnie," both the Gilbert's cried out as they moved to help. As she slowly came to, Jeremy carried her carefully to the bed before exiting the room to get some water. Bonnie let out a strangled groan turning on her side and pulling her legs to her chest. Elena sat down next to her, whispering softly in her ear assuring her that everything was okay. It took the girl a few minutes but eventually she managed to compose herself.

"What did you see?" Elena asked as she brushed her friend's hair away from her face. Bonnie held her breath and remained silent for a few seconds, staring at the opposing wall with tear filled eyes.

Finally she spoke, "Blood, there was so much blood." Her voice was barely a whisper.

Elena swallowed the lump lodged in her throat, "Did you recognize the place?"

She shook her head, burying her face into the pillow. Elena turned when she heard the door open and relaxed when Jeremy stepped into the room. He rushed to Bonnie's side, getting down onto the floor so he could be level with the witch. "Drink this," he ordered, handing her the glass. She reached out and took a sip of it, sucking in a few breaths and closing her eyes.

"It was somewhere dark and cold," her voice was haunting. "The walls were echoing." She opened her eyes to look at Elena, horror and fear etched to her face. Elena couldn't speak; her voice had disappeared.

"Screaming – everything was screaming in pain."

Tears dripped down her cheeks and she let out another heartbreaking sob. Elena looked away and glanced over towards the middle of the room.

In the middle of the circle of candles was the discarded teddy bear – his head torn from the rest of his body. Her stomach gave a violent lurch as she stood up and dialed Stefan's number.

xxx

Nine bullets – nine were lodged in her torso now. They sat painfully hot within her body, slicing her skin and grinding against her bones. It was horribly uncomfortable and extremely painful. Caroline didn't know how many hours she had been hanging there – but her arms were stiff and numb and felt as though they were about to fall off. She couldn't see her fingers, but she imagined they were blue.

She hung there in a daze – jerking awake in panic each time her mind slowly blacked out. But she was so exhausted. She had never felt this fatigued before both physically and mentally. Her body had become stiff and frigid – the night air chilling the small basement. She let out a small whimper when she shifted and felt the dried blood crusted over her skin. It ran down her chest and stomach in waves, dripping onto her jeans and tainting them as well.

But an hour or two had gone by and by now, the bullet pains were starting to numb. They weren't painstakingly excruciating anymore – just achingly obtrusive. Even though she was a vampire, she could still feel the affects the shots were having on her body. Every time she sucked in a breath, she could feel the broken ribs grind against her other bones and tear at her lungs – thankfully vampires couldn't die from blood loss – if her lungs were punctured, they would heal quickly. Of course, she was in this endless cycle of slashing and curing which was extremely excruciating and uncomfortable. But the blood loss – although not deadly wasn't a good thing. Her thirst grew with each passing second, and every second she didn't get the blood she so desperately needed, her strength to stay awake and keep fighting dwindled.

At the thought, she let out a desperate cry and struggled with the chains once again. The vervain had charred the skin, leaving it raw and bleeding, and no matter how many times she tugged and pulled the chains wouldn't snap. She could feel the dried blood of strangers on her fingers from the house fight and she cringed internally, feeling disgusting and dirty. Eventually she lost the small amount of strength and stopped. She drifted once again and as her eyes closed, she thought about what Brady had done.

_He squeezed off another shot, tilting his head a little as she cried out. The whole situation was so familiar, it made him chuckle softly. He watched as her shirt became saturated with fresh blood. After her shrieks subsided, they were replaced with angry growls. She looked back up at him with stubborn eyes, a look of disgust on her face. _

"_You just signed your death warrant, Brady," she warned with a shallow breath. _

"_How's that sweat heart?" He asked, pulling one of the wooden chairs positioned up against the wall and placing it in the middle of the room._

"_Do… do you not remember what happened l-last time?" she wheezed tiredly, biting her lip to try and ease the pain. _

"_I do," he commented as he sat down on the chair, lazily brandishing the gun in his hands. "It'll be different this time around." He promised, sucking in an excited breath as he tilted his head to watch her. Caroline's eyes flickered from him to the skimpy kid standing behind him; his eyes shined with the same sick excitement, but he stayed quiet, hidden in the shadows. _

_She tilted her head down and let out a small squeak of pain when the wooden spikes in the collar dug deeper into her skin. She took in heavy breaths, trying to calm herself down. But at the sight of her damaged chest, she let out a powerful breath of panic._

"_What do you want?" she asked, looking back to the pair. _

_No one ever answered her._

_Instead Brady gave her a cruel smirk and raised the gun, aiming two more bullets into her stomach. _

They never answered her; they never answered any of her questions. By the eighth bullet, she was crying out in desperation. _"Just tell me what you want!" _But Brady just laughed and ignored her. There little session lasted less than an hour, but by the time they were finished with her, she was covered in her own blood. He left as quickly as he came, taking the lantern and only means of light with him and promising her, "_Until tomorrow." _

Caroline didn't know how much she could take; she had never been good with pain or blood. Tears dripped down her cheeks as she sobbed quietly to herself. There was only one time in her life where she felt this alone and scared and that was when she had first been turned. She had this undying hunger, and a salvage beast whispered horrible things to her in the back of her mind, and there had been no one to help her. Katherine abused her; Damon abused her – if they were the only possible mentors she could choose from, she'd rather choose death. And then she killed that man and there was nothing – nothing but an empty void sucking her in. Damon had attempted to kill her (the ass that he was) but then Stefan showed up and guided her back to reality and sanity. If it hadn't been for him…

But now, she could feel the darkness and silence eating at her, spreading and constricting around her body, welcoming her to the brink of insanity. Her stomach heaved and she gagged softly, as her breathing picked up, her heart speeding. She closed her eyes as a panic attack controlled her, her body and mind frenzied and desperate. She frantically hoped and wished that someone would burst through the doors and find her – Jonas, Damon, Elena, Tyler, Stefan – _someone_ to save her from this torture.

But as the hours flashed by, and the tears and blood dried, she was distressed when no one came.

* * *

_Alright! Tyler is currently on my set! He's working hard right now with me on the next chapter and he is very excited to get his brooding ass back into this story! Reviews or words of encouragement are always appreciated. I will work extra hard to get the next chapter out in the next few days if you do! _


	6. VI

_Okay, this was released later than I wanted it to be – I apologize to all of you for the long wait. This week was spring break and I found myself busier than I would be on a school week! __But to compensate for the wait, this chapter is longer than all the previous ones. __Anyway, please enjoy! I apologize for any mistakes.  
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_How long can you stand the pain?  
How long will you hide your face?  
How long will you be afraid?  
Are you afraid?  
How long will you play this game?  
Will you fight or will you walk away?  
How long will you let it burn?_  
-Let it Burn (_Red_)

VI.

Tyler had a bad feeling deep in his gut; a feeling he couldn't seem to shake off no matter how much he tried to ignore it. It was that sudden fear that would paralyze a person when they knew something was horribly, horribly wrong. It was a familiar feeling – at least to Tyler. There were times when Tyler wouldn't see or talk to his father for days, but instances where he would just _know_ that when the son of a bitch came home, there would be hell. He was _very_ familiar with this feeling and nine times out of ten, he was right.

First and second periods were a blur, and the only thing he actually learned during those two classes was that Matt's nose wasn't broken but badly bruised, and that Caroline wasn't in school today. Her seat remained empty during both classes - a constant reminder of the mistake he made and the guilt eating at his insides. But when he arrived at his third class, he was surprised to find that both Bonnie and Elena were also absent. That feeling in the pit of his stomach increased tremendously.

The class started and once again, Tyler's mind was completely disinterested in today's lecture. He looked down at the textbook on his desk, staring at the cover blindly. Twenty minutes in, he felt his eyes being drawn back towards the empty seats before finally raising his hand and asking to be excused, tearing away from the classroom in a cloud of smoke. As soon as he was on the other side of the door, he let out a great breath of air that seemed caught in his lungs. His body felt tense and tight, as though preparing for an incoming attack. The halls were empty and quiet, the soft murmurs of teachers escaping through cracked doors to whisper across the halls. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to loosen up the tension in his muscles as his eyes focused on the floor below him.

Another sound began to echo off the walls, at first only a soft tread but gradually picking up speed and sound as the seconds went by. He glanced up to see Stefan Salvatore approaching him, a worried expression plastered onto his face. When Tyler saw him, he stopped moving, like an animal caught stunned by headlights. This was it; it had to be – the impending feelings of apprehension he couldn't seem to run from. As Stefan continued to get closer, Tyler felt himself take a nervous step back. Stefan disappeared in a flash and before he knew it, he was being hauled away from the hallway. Tyler resisted at first, but couldn't shake the demon's grip and soon found himself being pushed into a classroom.

"What the hell is your problem?" he cried out, but grew silent when he noticed that the room he had been pushed into wasn't empty.

Elena and Bonnie stood near the window, conversing quietly to each other before glancing in his direction, both with pale faces. Alaric was leaning against the blackboard – staring silently at the ground while Damon sat in his seat, his legs positioned up on the wooden desk. Tyler avoided the gaze of his classmates, instead turning around to face Stefan.

"What do you guys want?" He asked, sighing softly. Stefan advanced on him and nodded his head towards one of the desks. "Sit, Tyler." He ordered with an unsympathetic tone, walking over to stand next to Alaric.

Tyler laughed softly in disbelief and shook his head, but took a seat as he was told. "Out of all the teachers in this place, I never thought you'd be in with all this," he told Alaric who made no reaction. He glanced at Stefan for a brief second, and glanced around the room once more. The Scooby gang was missing one member: Caroline, and for some reason that hurt. They were probably here to lecture him about what the werewolves had done, and reiterate the fact that he was no longer allowed to see, talk, think, or speak about their blond friend, but the blame shouldn't be placed solely on him – he had nothing to do with it, not really.

"Look, about Friday – I had no idea they would go that far."

"We aren't worried about that anymore," Damon informed him, lifting his feet up off the desk. "It seems your little wolf gang has struck again."

"What are you-?"

"They took Caroline, _again."_ Stefan told him with a grave expression.

Damon quickly added, "_And_ tried to burn my house down."

Tyler shook his head in denial, "No, they left. They wouldn't-" he trailed off, a little uncertain, but Jules knew he didn't want Caroline involved in this whole mess again. Damon and Stefan he didn't care much for, but he had insisted Caroline be left out of it.

"Tyler, something you should know about me: I _despise_ liars." _Which is strange coming from his mouth, _Tyler thought as Damon stood up, a sick smile on his face as he stepped forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Elena shift a little.

"Look, I'm sure this is just some big mistake, alright? I have nothing to do with any of this mess!"

"You were looking for the moonstone," Stefan spoke up, stepping in front of his brother to look at him. "You asked Caroline to get it back for you."

Tyler stayed silent for a few minutes, leaning back in the chair and sighing softly. "Yeah, I did."

"They're desperate aren't they? Desperate to get it back."

Tyler squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, shaking his head refusing to believe that history was repeating itself.

"Tyler, they took Caroline in order to get the moonstone back." Stefan glared at him with desperate eyes, trying to make him see the supposed truth. Tyler was so stuck in denial though, he refused to believe them. He stood up, glaring at the vampire. "Look, that moonstone belongs to me; I want it back!"

Damon had his hand around his neck in seconds and Tyler let out a small chocking sound as the man squeezed tighter. Distinctively he heard Elena yell out for him to stop, but he didn't listen. "You are not getting the moonstone back – just accept it. Now tell me where they are or I will snap your neck before you can even beg for mercy."

"Damon, knock it off!" Elena stepped forward, glaring at her boyfriend for support. "Stefan!" Reluctantly, Stefan agreed with Elena, and Damon begrudgingly released his hold on the man's neck. Tyler coughed and choked; his hands on his neck as he tried to suck in a breath. He glared at the vampires and was about to leave the room when Elena blocked his path. He hesitated and watched as Damon and Stefan backed away.

"Tyler please just hear me out." She pleaded with distressed eyes. Tyler had known Elena since childhood and knew he owned her at least a moment of his time, but currently he was so pissed off that she had sided with the vampires that he didn't exactly feel like listening to her. But she quickly presented her case.

"Caroline _is _missing; she hasn't been home, she's not picking up her cell. The last person to have seen her was Damon, and it was right before they were attacked. Now, I'm not accusing the other wolves, but she _is _missing and we think it's bad."

The quiver in her voice made his stomach churn. He could feel a lump form in his throat as she continued. "I know you two…had gotten close," she hesitated and he stared at her with a hard look, sighing softly and licking his lips, remaining silent. "So it would really help us out if you could just be on the look out."

Tyler remained silent for some time, but eventually connected eyes with her and nodded in agreement. Elena offered him a small, thankful smile and moved out of his way. He exited the room, slamming the door behind him and leaving the group alone. As soon as the door shut, Damon turned on Elena.

"What the hell was that? That wasn't part of the plan!"

"Damon, I'm not going to let you choke the answer out of him!" she argued.

"Do you even _want _to get Caroline back? Because sweet talking her kidnapper isn't going to get the job done."

"Damon," Stefan warned, giving him a hard glance.

Damon put his hands up in defeat and turned around, "Alright fine, but when blondie's dead and they have the moonstone, don't whine to me."

"Look, I _know_ Tyler," she insisted. "He'll want to help Caroline and he'll contact the wolves, trying to figure out the truth."

She sounded so sure; too bad both Stefan and Damon weren't.

xxx

He blew out of that room and went straight for his car. He didn't care that he could get in loads of trouble for skipping, right now his mind was racing and his entire body felt on edge. Why was it he always got stuck in the middle of things? This still had nothing to do with him, not really. Why couldn't the vampires and werewolves fight on their own – why did they need liaisons and spies? He hadn't been a werewolf for more than two months and he was already sick of the lifestyle. Jules said it was easier when you didn't live in vampire territory, but this was his home – he didn't want to leave it.

He hadn't really talked to Jules or Brady since Saturday – only one or two texts that informed him that they were moving their location. He assumed that that meant they were leaving. They had been desperately interested in learning about the moonstone and after they explained to him what the curse would do, he was just as desperate to get it back. So, he did assume that he would side with the wolves on this – he couldn't live his life this way, and if there was a chance that he would never have to transform again, he'd risk everything.

_Even Caroline?_

He had been avoiding that topic. Stefan insisted that the wolves had her, but why would they go after the same girl twice? Especially with the failure that resulted last time. And he had told Jules to leave her alone; he didn't think the woman would go back on her word. But where was she then? He thought about calling Caroline's phone to make sure it wasn't some sick trap the vamps were playing out, but decided against it. The girl wouldn't pick up his calls even if she could.

But that sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach still existed and that discouraged him. He got into his car and pulled his phone out, sending a quick text before putting the car into drive.

_Jules, we need to talk. Where are you guys staying? _

He would get to the bottom of this.

xxx

She woke up to unbelievable pain. Sleep had pulled her under, but when the sudden pain struck her, her mind snapped back to life. She was screaming in agony before her mind was even fully awake, tugging at the chains as acid ripped apart her skin and boiled her blood. It took her a second to realize that her body was wet and dripping – her skin sizzling softly as the smell of burnt flesh made her gag. She looked forward, noticing Brady with a bucket of what looked like water. But she knew better, she could smell it from here – and she sure as hell felt it. Vervain.

She could feel parts of her skin burn away until raw muscles and tissues were exposed, but her metabolism quickly healed the damage. The tears that leaked from her eyes felt like cool ice on fevered skin, soothing the inflamed skin around her eyes. Despite her incredible healing abilities, she could still feel the pain of the damn water like the after affects of a horrible sun burn. She groaned in pain, closing her eyes and trying to breathe.

"Look at that," she heard Brady exclaim. "Start's to heal immediately. Absolutely disgusting." He laughed and dropped the bucket to his feet.

"Brady." _Jules._ Caroline reopened her eyes to find the female and made a small sound when their eyes connected. She had her arms crossed over her chest and kept glancing at Brady with a warning. He turned to glance at her while Caroline tilted her head down, watching as the water dripped from her hair and face.

"W-why are you doing this?" she whispered desperately. She flinched as the water dripped into her wounds, mixing with the blood and washing away some of the evidence. At her question, all eyes turned to her. There were a few more people in the room this time – three males and one female. Brady and Jules were the first pair; the third was that same lanky boy that seemed to follow Brady around like a helpless pup. The fourth Caroline had never seen before but he stared at her with an indifferent expression.

Brady stepped forward and glanced at the boy, gesturing him forward. "Stevie why don't you explained to her what that thing is around her neck?"

The boy grinned and stepped forward. He approached the vampire and grabbed the two chains that extended from the collar, wrapping them around his hands. "I saw this movie once – some torture, porn flick…anyway they had this collar device that was really cool, so I just modified it some with some wooden nails and when I pull-"

He yanked and the nails plunged deep into her neck, so deep she couldn't move her head at all. She groaned out in pain, cried out so hard her entire body shook. After a few brutal seconds, Stevie relaxed his grip and she slumped – groaning and panting in pain. Brady stepped forward and tilted his head down a little to look in her eyes, a serious expression on his face.

"Where's the moonstone?"

She forced herself to look up, staring at him with hopeless eyes.

"We don't have it," she whined.

Seconds later there was a tightening around her neck and that same obtrusive misery paralyzed her. As soon as it loosened, she screamed out, "I swear! I swear we don't have it!"

"Well than who does?"

She took a second to fill her lungs, pained noises leaking from her lips. Fresh blood dripped down her neck and coated her shirt, turning the once gray fabric to a horrible dark color. By now, her entire shirt was saturated – half stiff by old blood, half wet and cold by fresh. Her mind gave a violent spin as she forced the bile rising in her throat back down.

"Elijah – Elijah has it," she finally whispered, staring at the dirt on the floor tiredly.

Brady glanced back towards Jules for a brief second, "Who is Elijah?"

Meeting his eyes, she croaked out an answer. "He's an ancient – one of the oldest and incredibly strong."

"Where is he?"

Caroline shook her head, but at the sound of the chains rattling and the sudden tightening, she pleaded. "I swear I don't know! He- He's in Mystic Falls, but I don't know where he stays. Please!"

Stevie relaxed his grip smirking arrogantly at her. He glanced at Brady for instructions but the alpha was currently pacing in a small circle, apparently lost in thought.

After a brief moment Jules stepped forward, glaring at the blond with an angry look. "Why is he protecting you?" Jules could remember the warlock's words as her mind was being ripped apart. _Elijah made a promise to Elena. I'm here to see it's kept. _"What did he promise Elena Gilbert?"

At her name, Caroline glanced up suddenly very quiet. Jules smirked, "Yes, we know all about Elena. Took us a few to realize that she wasn't actually Katherine, but we eventually figured it out."

"E-Elena doesn't have anything to do with this," Caroline stuttered, looking afraid.

"Oh yes she does, she's the doppelganger." At Caroline's terrified expression, Jules tilted her head. "We know a lot more than you think. After we're done with you and your vampire friends, we're going to kill her – so that the vampire's can't lift the curse."

"That's suicide; Elijah will kill you before you can even touch her," Caroline spat at her.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that; after all it's nearly impossible to trap a vampire – and so far we've done it twice." Her smile was sickening, and Caroline felt the sudden desire to kick her in the face.

"You are going to tell us everything about everything. Information about the other vampires in this time town, the details regarding the pact Elena made with the ancient, the warlocks that are working for you; you're going to give us every single detail we ask you," Brady said, coming back into the picture. "First off, tell us everything you know about Elijah."

Caroline remained silent and shook her head a little, staring at both of them in desperation. She couldn't do that – she just couldn't betray them all like that. It was a pride thing, a family thing – surely _they _could understand that. Sacrificing them to save herself was reprehensible; she would never be able to forgive herself if something happened to any of them.

She was screaming again within seconds. Her throat was raw by now and every time she cried out, she could taste blood. She found her screams dying in strength as time went by, growing rough and hoarse as did her voice. Eventually her screams just turned into guttural sounds and sharp hisses and silent screams.

"This will be easier if you just answer my questions," Brady walked closer to her, standing mere inches in front of her. "Sweat pea, you answer my questions, and we stop all this." When she glanced down to look at him, tears dripping passed her cheeks; she let out a small whimper. He smiled and reached forward, brushing her hair away from her face. "I promise," he assured. He stood placidly in front of her – civil even. As if they were two friends deep in a conversation instead of blood enemies. She let out another conflicted groan and sucked in a deep breath, biting her lip in anguish.

The room remained quiet as she thought to herself – she didn't want to but God, the pain – it was too much, she didn't want them to hurt her anymore – she just wanted it to stop. Finally, after her body tensed when another wave of pain washed over her like an aftershock, she nodded softly in defeat.

"Elijah made a deal with Elena – how it came to be isn't important, but he is protecting her and her loved ones."

As Caroline spoke, Jules glanced down at her pocket and pulled out a cell phone, flipping it open and reading the text message. She looked at Caroline for a brief moment before focusing back on her phone.

"Damon and Stefan already tried to kill him – apparently a simple stake to the heart doesn't work. Damon was trying to solve this."

Jules connected eyes with Brady for a brief second before turning her back and walking away. Seconds later, a door could be heard opening and closing.

"But Elijah definitely has the moonstone – Luca and Jonas took it from my friend and then gave it to him."

Brady nodded, staring at the opposite wall apparently in thought. Stevie dropped the chains and they clattered to the floor uselessly. He crossed his arms over his chest and became lost in thought, probably trying to figure out a way to render an ancient useless.

"But that's all I know; I swear that's all I know."

Her voice was beyond tired and nothing more than a soft plea. Brady eventually stopped pacing and turned back to face her, a small satisfied smile on his lips. He walked forward, pulling out a silver hunting knife. His eyes ran up and down the sharp blade, a mixture of nostalgia and excitement gleaming within open lids. "This was my father's – used it when he would hunt bears – slice open their stomach, cut out the excess so he could haul it back to his car." He made a small slicing movement across his stomach, his lips spreading to form a toothy grin. Caroline let out a whimper, her body shaking as he got closer.

"I coated it in vervain."

"I _told_ you- I told you what you wanted to know…"

"And I appreciate that, sweetheart" Brady said with a smile, right before plunging the knife into her stomach right above the belly button. Caroline let out a cry as the skin and blood and tissue sizzled from the herb. She cried and sobbed as he ripped it out.

"You promised! You'd promise you'd stop!" She screamed, more blood seeping and soaking her skin.

Brady shrugged and licked his lip as he got a better grip on the knife. "I lied." He admitted nonchalantly, raising his brow and frowning slightly. He stabbed her side, right below her ribs and above her hip. Caroline begged and begged, crying and groaning out in horrible agony. Brady twisted the knife and tugged up, grinding the blade into bone refusing to let up. Caroline's screams echoed off the walls, the blood soaking into the dirt underneath of her hanging form. When he ripped the blade out this time, she dropped her head in exhaustion and watched as her tears dripped from her cheeks to the ground.

"Brady, Brady – I-I didn't k-kill Mason. I didn't kill him," she insisted in between sobs, beseeching him as though he were her only savior because in her mind, he really was. "I d-don't deserve this, please just stop."

Brady leaned forward, a sudden look of disgust and sincerity replacing his previous gleeful demeanor. His lips hovered over her ear and he closed his eyes, taking a minute to pause and think before whispering sharply, "You're a vampire; you deserve everything you get."

And with that, he once again plunged the knife deep into her skin.

Stevie stared at the two, a satisfying and disturbed glow of both hunger and satisfaction burning deep in his eyes.

xxx

Tyler pulled up the address, staring at the small house for a brief second before turning off his car and stepping out. There was a chill to the air that froze his bones, and as he walked towards the front door, he noticed that the forest surrounding the area was absolutely silent. Breathing out, he pulled his black jacket closer to his body and knocked on the front door, glancing around the old wicker porch. His attention was brought back to the door when he heard someone opening it. A young girl opened it and when she saw who it was, she put on a flirtatious smile.

"Hey Tyler."

"Hey, um is Jules here?"

She nodded and ushered him inside, directing him through the foyer and into the kitchen straight ahead past the stairs. Mackenzie told him to make himself comfortable, informing him that Jules was upstairs getting cleaned up and that she would be down in a minute. After an awkward silence she scampered off to find her. Tyler pushed his hands into his pockets, mulling over everything he heard today. He paced the small room, scratching the top of his head in frustration. His eyes were drawn to the backyard outside and he observed the surrounding forest and empty-open field. The only source of color was the red hatchway doors that must lead to some sort of cellar.

His thoughts focused on Caroline once more and he wondered if she really was in danger. Stefan seemed to think that Jules had her, but there wasn't a sign of Caroline anywhere. The house was quiet and quite pleasant – warm and smelt of candles and spices. Nothing out of the ordinary that might suggest foul play. But perhaps Jules did know something about the blonde's sudden disappearance; and if she did, he needed to know. No matter how much Caroline hated him or how much he felt betrayed, if she was in trouble he needed to do something – he owed her that much.

He heard footsteps and looked up towards the ceiling, wandering what she was doing up there. As he glanced back down he noticed something on the counter and when he saw what it was his stomach dropped and all the hair on his body stood up in alarm. Very slowly, he approached the side counter, his footsteps loud in his ears. His mind raced, matching the beat of his panicked heart. A small white purse was leaning against the wall – a very familiar looking white purse. _It couldn't be. _He reached out and opened the bag, jumping away from it when he noticed _her _cell phone and wallet.

He ran a stressed hand through his hair, glancing around quickly with wide eyes. _This can't be happening._ He couldn't think properly - his entire being was too consumed with the sudden panic that overwhelmed him. He could hear footsteps coming down the stairs and before he could come face to face with Jules, he exited the house. He was inside his car within seconds and driving away in less than a minute. He pushed on the gas, biting his lip and staring at his rear mirror every few seconds. He didn't know what to do. His mind was still attempting to deny that Caroline was still somewhere within that house, but the evidence was right in front of him. Part of him screamed, _Why didn't you confront Jules! _But his heart confirmed the quarrel. He was too much of a coward. He was too afraid to confront his own, but he had to do something.

As he sped away, he pulled out his phone and sent a text to Stefan.

_You were right; what do we do?_

_

* * *

_

_Next chapter might not come out until I finish my schoolwork which I'm really behind in. Check my profile for updates. But next chapter is entitled "The Rescue" in my mind, so I'm really really excited. I hope all my Japanese readers out there are okay. I'm praying for everyone's safety and sending in my money. I wish I could do more. I love the Japanese!_

私はあなたを愛しています。安全してください!


	7. VII

_So sorry for the delay - my cousin came over to visit and then got really, really sick. I had to nurse her back to health. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. _

* * *

_I won't hold on.  
You can't let go.  
When it's pain that I feared,  
I made you take it slow.  
I don't cry how you cry.  
There's nothing left to me_.  
-Remedy (_Cold_)

VIII.

"So, what's the game plan?"

Bonnie stood in the familiar room, trying her hardest to ignore the damage and remains littered across the blackened floor. Why they decided to meet up at the Salvatore house, she had no idea. Thankfully, the only rooms in the house that were damaged were the living room and study one floor above. But when she said 'damaged', she meant it. The walls were burnt and crumbling; ash littered the ruined wooden floor and stained the carpets. The furniture was brown and completely ruined – both soaked and stained by the hungry fire and desperate water. It was a mess; the ceiling was cracked and drooping slightly – which was why Tyler, Jeremy, and herself were standing in the hallway away from the danger.

To meet up at a half-burnt home sounded preposterous but Elena had insisted on it – and if Elena suggested something, neither of the Salvatore brothers would refuse her. It was something to do with 'avoiding the watchful eye of a certain male Gilbert'. As soon as Tyler texted Stefan he called Elena who called Bonnie; they were to meet up at the mansion to discuss a plan on how to get Caroline away from those animals. But when she arrived - only Stefan was inside the house, examining his ruined home. Tyler busted in minutes later, brows raised at the condition of the home. But his expression quickly changed to settle on panic. Seconds after the door closed behind him, he informed Stefan of what he saw.

Tyler knew where she was – a burst of relief filled her as she looked at Stefan for orders. But Stefan had a sour look on his face, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He appeared lost in thought until he finally turned his back to the occupants and walked over to a burnt desk in the middle of the charred room, leaning over it and placing his palms on the surface. Bonnie was not assured by his strange behavior and glanced over at Tyler for a brief second.

"…you do have a plan, right?"

He remained silent for some time. The expression in his eyes bounced between many different things: fear, anger, remorse, pity, until it finally settled on one: acceptance. His eyes landed on Tyler for a brief second.

"We have no choice in this," he claimed solemnly.

Tyler narrowed his eyes for a second, visibly irritated by Stefan's lack of urgency but took in his words. It took him a few seconds to realize what the vampire meant, and when he did figure it out he took a daring step forward into the room, his expression quickly becoming furious again.

"No! Look, I didn't tell you guys this so you would march down there for a slaughter!"

Bonnie jumped when the sound of a fist slamming into wood reached her ears. The desk Stefan had been leaning over crumbled into a bunch of large pieces as Stefan turned around to glare at the man.

"Tyler! They have Caroline! Do you not understand that?" His voice was angry and desperate. "They have her and I doubt she's resting somewhere comfortably. They are doing exactly what they did last time, only now they are _really_ pissed."

Tyler sobered up, images of Caroline inside a cage covered in blood and drying tears burned into his memory. Stefan noticed the change and took a deep breath, but kept his eye on the Lockwood.

"You can't keep playing both sides Tyler. I tried to talk to you; tried to reason with you and with Jules, but both of you refused any form of decency or understanding." Stefan shrugged with defeat. "It's too late now – we can't coexist with one another anymore - they've taking it too far. I'm sorry."

Tyler looked into his eyes, hearing the sincerity but still struggling with himself. He still didn't know if he made the right decision – after all these were the people who had murdered his uncle. But Caroline…he couldn't leave her there. He should have talked to Jules, maybe this was all some kind of misunderstanding, but something in his gut advised him otherwise. Still, he didn't know if he could handle being the one responsible for all the death that would undoubtedly follow – the thought alone made him sick.

Stefan took in a deep breath, recognizing Tyler's expressions. He took a small step forward, "Look, Caroline is what's important, right?" Tyler nodded. "Our number one priority is getting her out – if we can avoid violence, I promise I will do my best. But I will not hesitate to protect those I care about."

His words made the knot in Tyler's stomach uncoil slightly and he was able to take a breath, a small smile of gratitude on his face. But Stefan's eyes were still serious and deadly as he cautioned, "But Tyler – they need to leave."

The warning was obvious and the only thing Tyler could do at the moment was offer a nod of agreement.

Everyone turned their heads when the front door swung open and in walked Damon, Elena behind him.

"Well, everyone will be happy to know that Sheriff Forbes will not be getting in the way of our little search and rescue party."

"What did you do?" Jeremy asked with narrowing eyes.

"She was about to file a missing persons – and knowing her power with the law enforcement, every officer in the vicinity would be busy searching for Caroline by morning." Elena provided.

Tyler was confused. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Damon let out a small chuckle, "Newbie."

Elena made a face at the brother before turning to address Tyler. "No, if they try and find her, they'll more than likely die. They can't handle this."

"So you compelled her?" Bonnie asked a little bitterly.

"In her mind, Caroline is happily visiting her father." The older brother turned to the youngest. "So, we ready?"

"Whoa, wait – we didn't even come up with a plan," Elena turned to argue, slowly walking towards Stefan, but her boyfriend, concerned with the fragile ceiling, met her halfway and pulled her with him to the safely of the hall.

"Oh jeez, you haven't told them yet?"

"Told us what? Elena asked glancing between them. Stefan opened his mouth looking strained and stressed but remained silent, closing his eyes as if preparing for an attack. Damon happily finished explaining.

"None of you will be coming."

And arguments ensued.

Elena stared at her boyfriend, shocked. _No, there's no way you're leaving me out of this. Caroline is my friend. _Bonnie had an offended glare in her eye and it was directed towards Damon who raised his brows in surprise. _Caroline is my best friend; if you think for one second I'm going to trust you to get her back! You need me for this. _And then Jeremy wanted to add in his two cents. _Elena and Bonnie aren't going anymore without me – Sorry Damon but I don't trust you to actually take care of them. _Tyler however looked the most confused. _You won't find the place without my help. You wouldn't even know where she was if it weren't for me!_

Damon raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright! Stop, jeez. If you all want to die and get your heads ripped off by hungry werewolves, well then fine. However, it would be a lot more efficient and quicker without you frail humans tagging along." He began to depart from the room, quickly calling over his shoulder as he opened the door to the basement, "Oh and keep in mind, every second we waste trying to come up with a _solid plan_, is every second Caroline doesn't have. So converse quickly." His voice was light and carefree and Elena felt a sigh of frustration leave her lips as the basement door shut.

"Stefan – I'm coming with you."

"Elena, I-I can't rescue Caroline if I have to worry about protecting you." Stefan pleaded with her, putting his hands tightly on her shoulders.

"That's why I'm coming," Bonnie stepped forward. At Stefan's look, she quickly added, "Last time, if Jonas hadn't showed up, you guys would have more than likely been dead. If things go south, you're going to _need_ me."

Stefan looked torn, his jaw tight with pressure. Finally, he decided. "Fine, but all three of you are to wait by the car, understand? There's no discussion with this; take it or leave it."

Bonnie nodded, and shortly after so did Elena.

"Tyler you'll be with us."

They began to discuss the location and what they would do – how they would get in undetected, sniff out Caroline, get her out, and hopefully leave unnoticed. Elena, Bonnie, and Jeremy would wait by the car and if the three didn't return within fifteen minutes, they were to come in guns blazing. (Stefan didn't plan on allowing them to step even an inch onto the estate and would make sure to be out of that place within ten minutes). Once Caroline was safe, then Stefan would meet up with the wolves and tell them to leave – either that or they would have to deal with Damon.

Stefan believed in what he said: Caroline was more important than tying up loose ends. He needed to get her somewhere safe before they did anything else. But she had been there now for two days and Stefan feared for her condition. He doubted she was dead – the werewolves needed her for info on the moonstone, but there was this growing fear in the back of his mind, screaming at him: they needed to get to Caroline _now. _

Damon's footsteps returned and when he walked back into the hall, he was carrying a handful of a certain green plant. Jeremy raised his brows, but Bonnie beat him to the question, "What is that?"

"This," Damon held up the plant, "is wolfsbane - the equivalent of vervain to a werewolf."

Jeremy glanced at Tyler who had tensed slightly, eyeing the plant with uneasiness. "Really? It's as effective?"

Damon walked up to Tyler and held out the plant, a soft smile on his face. "Would you care to demonstrate?"

Tyler didn't move for a minute, but when no one objected to Damon's request he let out a soft hiss of discontent. Very slowly he moved his fingers towards the plant, making a face just as he was about to reach out. As soon as his flesh met the plant, it started to burn – a small puff of smoke rose in the air as he tore his fingers away from the bane, shaking the pain by his side and glaring at Damon's satisfied grin.

"Do you really think we'll need that?" Stefan asked, wary about the fact that in order to apply the wolfsbane, they would need to get close.

"Maybe – wouldn't hurt to be a little prepared Stefan."

"We're wasting time," Tyler proclaimed, looking towards the younger brother who nodded in agreement. He stared at Damon, "Get what you need; we're leaving in ten."

xxx

"I'm telling you sweetheart – you are fulfilling every single one of my fantasies right now."

Stevie tightened his grip on the chains, pulling the collar tighter around her neck once more. By now, her voice was completely spent and she could only make feeble groans and squeaks of pain. Her neck was torn and ripped apart, but still constantly trying to heal itself. The raw layer of skin made the pain even worse as the pikes ripped it apart.

Jules had returned and had demanded to speak to Brady, leaving Caroline at the mercy of the twitchy, pompous nerd. If she wasn't so concerned with the pain, she would be disturbed by the way his eyes ran across her body; the way he licked his lips and the corrupt glow in his eyes. But she didn't care about it anymore – she just wanted the pain to stop already.

As she grew quiet, Stevie grew frustrated. Without warning, he turned and exited the basement, the chains clattering uselessly to the floor. Caroline felt her body relax as his footsteps faded. Her eyes closed, her mind teetering between dreams and reality. In the back of her mind she could hear Brady and Jules arguing, but she couldn't seem to decipher any of their words.

"You've dragged this out for two days now, Brady. It's time to finish it already."

"Why are you so worried? We'll go out tomorrow and hunt down the other two."

"Why are you so persistent to keep her around!"

"Because she has valuable information—"

"Don't give me that; you haven't asked her a single question in the last hour. You're doing this for your own selfish reasons; you think if you bleed her enough, it'll compensate for those we lost, but it won't! It's too dangerous to stay here anymore."

Brady offered her a conquered sigh, shrugging his shoulders. "What would you have me do?"

"Finish it already. Tomorrow we kill the other two; we need to regroup and get enough people to take down Elijah. We're here for Tyler and the moonstone; remember that."

She stormed out of the room, but as her footsteps faded, another pair arrived.

The scent reached her nose before she could even comprehend what it was. Her eyes flashed open, red and desperate – her fangs drawn. Stevie had returned and he had in his hand an open blood packet. He got closer; his eyes hooked on her as she watched with great horror as the small drops dripped from the torn bag and fell towards the ground – wasted blood.

"Well this perked her right up."

"Stevie – you have until the sun rises."

Stevie made a sad face, pouting softly as he turned to look at Brady. "But she's so much fun."

Brady smirked and stepped forward, staring at the dagger jammed into her side. "She sure is, but rules are rules."

"Please – please," Caroline croaked out, her lips dry and cracked as the smell distracted her completely. She didn't care about anything right now – not herself or the pain or them – she just needed the blood. Her body craved the sweet taste – and for an instant some of her strength returned. She tugged on the chains, her eyesight tinted red as she parted her lips with hunger.

"Is this what you want?" Stevie asked, lifting the bag up, a few more drops leaking from the side. Caroline followed the path of the drops, eyes widening as they slipped from the inside of the packet and slid down the side of the bag, drooping and combining until it got heavy enough and gravity pulled it away from the plastic . A soft cry broke from her lips as she watched it fall to the ground.

Stevie brought the bag closer to her mouth – approaching her struggling form very slowly. Her eyes were glued to the bag, calculating when it would be close enough so she could feed. But just as Stevie got close enough, he dumped the bag, spilling the contents onto the dirt below.

"No!" Caroline cried out, dismayed as she watched the blood soak into the ground. Brady and Stevie chuckled and after all the blood was saturated into the ground, she bent her head in defeat.

"You're not going to stop are you?" she whispered.

Brady tilted his head, his smile disappearing as he grew serious, "No."

Caroline squeezed her eyes shut. Everything – it was too much. The exhaustion, the pain, the famine, the ridicule, the mind-numbing torture. It was all too much. She raised her head to look at Brady with desperate eyes.

"Please, I'm begging you. Make it stop." Her voice cracked – her tone desperate.

"Are you asking me to kill you sweetpea?" He pushed passed Stevie to stand closer to Caroline. He reached out and placed his hands on her cheeks, staring deeply into her eyes. Caroline stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes growing dim. She had long given up hope of escaping or being rescued.

"…yes."

xxx

They quickly ran through the small pack of trees that surrounded the house. Tyler led the way, weaving in between trees, his feet heavy against the dirt as he continued to push forward. He stayed silent the entire car ride to the area and remained quiet as he ran.

Stefan had this nagging paranoia, and it didn't occur to him until now that this might just be some kind of trap to rope in the remaining vampires. If that was the case, he would kill Tyler himself. But it didn't matter, because they needed to know where the wolves were staying – and they needed to know where they were keeping Caroline.

Tyler slowed to a jog and eventually came to a stop, hiding behind a large tree. In the distance was a large house. Stefan could pick up on Caroline's scent, but it was weak. Stefan came up behind Tyler.

"You know where she's being held?"

He shook his head, "No – she might be confined to a cage somewhere in the house – or locked up in the basement or something. Can you pick up on her scent?"

"We have to get closer."

Tyler took a second to catch his breath as Stefan assessed the situation. His body was buzzing with adrenaline – but he felt on edge and nervous – scared of being caught and deemed a traitor by his own kind, and scared to find the condition Caroline was in. He still couldn't believe that the werewolves would take Caroline again, especially after he told them to leave her alone – but the evidence had been in front of him, and now all that was left was the denial.

Stefan led the way, stepping forward through the brush carefully. A sudden sound ripped through the silence and the three men tensed and quickly found cover. Brady and another member who Tyler had learned was named Stevie emerged from a red bulkhead door which lead to what they could only assume was a basement. As the two walked by, Damon and Stefan made eye contact. The brief seconds that the door was opened gave them enough – they could smell Caroline's blood. Damon narrowed his eyes slightly as he glanced at the two men walking away from the basement-made-prison. He recognized the one – couldn't exactly remember his name because Damon didn't really consider him important enough – but he _did_ remembered the dick almost staking him. They disappeared back inside the house, but he noticed that after the backdoor closed, Brady stared out the window for a brief second, as though he suspected something. But after a few seconds, he turned back around and walked deeper into the house.

"Go," Stefan ordered and all three moved away from their hiding spots. Tyler allowed the other two to lead the way but when they both headed straight for the doors connected to the ground instead of the house, he burrowed his brow in confusion. Damon bent over the doors, gripping the lock safely secured around the handles and ripping it off.

"Honestly, why the hell would the use locks?" He asked, rolling his eyes and throwing the broken lock over his shoulder. "Who do they think they're dealing with?" He pulled open the door as Stefan glanced towards the house.

Tyler hesitated, "Are you sure she's down there?"

Damon glanced back as he descended the stairs, raising his brows slightly, "Positive."

But suddenly Tyler was afraid – afraid to see what awaited them in the dark hole beneath his feet. Stefan glanced at him when he heard his breathing quicken and gently nudged him forward, offering him a sympathetic nod. Very slowly, Tyler walked down the stone steps. Stefan followed suit, shutting the basement doors behind him.

The darkness seemed almost physical – it was thick and suffocating and made Tyler nervous. There was a small and narrow path that connected the exit to the main room and as they three ventured deeper into the confine that stunk of dirt and blood, their footsteps seemed to bounce off the walls. There was a small light up ahead – probably a single light bulb or lantern – but other than their footsteps, the area was completely silent. If they were right and Caroline really was down here somewhere, why couldn't he hear her? Hear her breathing or moving, fighting to get out of the cage she was probably locked in. Why was it so damn quiet? There was a tension in his body as he clenched his fist, holding his breath afraid to upset the stillness of the air around him.

Damon was a few steps in front of him and when he noticed the vampire stop in his tracks – Tyler did the same thing. Stefan narrowed his eyes, stuck behind Tyler who was too much of a coward to move forward. "What?" he whispered, looking at Damon but the brother didn't turn to look at him, his eyes locked on something else – something within the room. It took a second to make any sort of reaction at all, but when he did he made a face of pure disgust. "Jesus," he cringed but before Stefan could ask him another question, the older brother walked into the room.

Tyler couldn't see what was in the room and from Damon's expression, he realized he didn't want to. He took a step backwards, bumping into Stefan who squeezed passed him and ran into the room – his eyes widening in horror. He ran forward and disappeared behind the wall that blocked Tyler's view. The wolf continued to sink further and further back, his breathing fast and his body covered in a cold sweat. He couldn't move forward; his feet would not work – he was terrified – terrified to walk into the room and see what had made _vampires_ cringe, because he knew whatever lay in that room would change everything, and he still wasn't sure he was ready to accept it.

But when he heard Damon's soft voice call out in concern, his eyes opened. "_Caroline, open your eyes." _His heart stop in his chest as he felt his insides tighten. He didn't have a choice he realized – no matter how much of a coward he was, he needed to pull himself together…_for her. _Sucking in a great gulp of air, he moved forward and stepped into the threshold connecting two rooms. The sight he saw made bile rise in his throat, his eyes closing immediately as though to help shield himself from the astonishment. He couldn't believe that this was actually happening – that this _could_ be happening – how could he have allowed it? He stood in place, opening his eyes and letting out a small choke when he saw her again – he was rendered speechless – immobilized – deaf and dumb – useless.

He just wasn't expecting _this. _

"Caroline, open your eyes." She felt cold hands on her cheeks, shaking her gently but she was too tired to open her eyes let alone comprehend the voice. But the person was persistent, calling out her name again a little more sternly this time. There was a pause as the man holding her turned his head, "Get that thing off her." Seconds later she felt someone tampering with the collar around her neck. Whoever it was twisted the metal slightly and she let out a whimper as the wood dug in her skin.

"Is- Is she alive?" She knew that voice too – and it bugged the hell out of her that she couldn't place them. The nagging slowly made the fog in her mind clear and as that same sharp voice from last time called out her name again, she forced her eyes to wearily open.

_Damon._

He was staring at her – his intense eyes searching her tired ones. She had never seen Damon look so serious, but seeing his face made a small smirk spread across her lips. "I n-never thought I'd be…so happy to see _your_ face." She managed to whisper out, her voice raw and raspy. Damon offered her a genuine smile and chuckled softly as he shooed Stefan away from the collar, claiming that he was better with weapons and that Stefan was better with the "touchy-feely" crap.

Seconds after Damon's face disappeared, Stefan's face came into view and she let out a powerful sob, closing her eyes as shameful tears dripped down her cheeks.

"Caroline, just relax – we're going to get you out of here."

She shook her head, which caused the spikes to dig against her skin harder, but she didn't care.

"Stefan – I told him ever-everything! I-I couldn't keep… He wanted to know about the moonstone and I t-told him; I told him about Elijah and the deal he made with E-Elena. I just couldn't handle it anymore – I couldn't…couldn't deal with all of it anymore. I'm so- sorry!"

Stefan was shaking his head, concern etched into his face as he grabbed onto Caroline's cheeks and ran his hands softly against her hair. A click informed them both that Damon had managed to successfully break the collar. "Shh, shh – Caroline, it's fine okay? The important thing right now is getting you out of here. We'll deal with everything else later."

" 's no getting out of here," she mumbled to herself, her eyes rolling back as she began to fall asleep again.

"Stefan, get the chains off," Damon order as he carefully pulled the spikes out of her skin. As soon as they were out, he threw the metal collar away, his eyes examining the small puncture wounds in her neck. Now that the contraption was off, Tyler could really see the damage that it had caused and the blood in his body rushed faster through his veins. No human would have survived this – there was blood everywhere. It coated her neck like a second skin; her shirt was completely soaked through and holes in her shirt suggested wooden bullets. As Stefan examined the chains, Damon gripped the handle of the silver dagger in Caroline's side and ripped it out. Her broken shriek made him cringe.

Stefan grabbed the chains with his hands and a sudden hiss filled the air followed by Stefan's growl of pain. His hands were steaming and burnt and as he glanced up at the metal, he muttered one word.

"Vervain."

"Tyler – you have ungodly strength – come tear these chains off." Damon ordered, but when Tyler didn't move, the vampire looked up with a raised brow. "Uh, now would be nice." Tyler cleared his throat and looked away from Caroline's feeble body, focusing on one thing at a time. Right now, he had to break these chains. He got closer and grabbed the chains, pulling until they buckled from the ceiling. Stefan reached around and grabbed Caroline around the waist as she fell to the ground; she let out a groan of agony as her hands drop uselessly to her sides. She had been hanging for two days – no doubt they were extremely stiff and tender.

Stefan cradled the blond in his arms and she lay meekly in his, dead weight. She would occasionally mutter something incomprehensible and would alternate between delusions and dreams skipping over reality completely. As she opened her mouth to mutter random words again, Tyler glanced desperately at Stefan.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Stefan repositioned her in his arms and stood back up. "She needs blood – the sooner we get out of here, the sooner will be able to get a better look of her condition."

Damon glanced at his brother for a brief second before heading back towards the hall. Stefan turned towards Tyler. "I need you to do something. You have to carry her – if something happens, both Damon and I have to be free to protect you two."

Tyler looked at him with terrified eyes at first, but when Stefan furthered explained himself – he realized that it was the logical thing to do. So he nodded his head and swallowed the lump in his throat, holding out his hands and taking Caroline away from him. He stared at her for a few seconds, noticing the blood and the pale almost translucent tone to the girl's skin. She had dark circles under her eyes – her lips were chapped and bleeding and her skin was frigid – completely drained of all blood. Carrying her in his arms, Tyler had never been more petrified.

Stefan tugged him back to reality by quickly clapping his shoulder and after taking a calming breath, Tyler followed him to the exit. He made sure to be very careful as he carried Caroline through the tight hallway – minding her head and legs and when he finally made it to the steps leading to the outside, he was grateful to relax his arms a little. All three emerged out of the underground prison and stepped onto the grass. But when Tyler looked up, he was horrified to find at least twenty members of the pack surrounding them.

Brady walked forward with his trademark smirk, "Thank you for saving us the trouble of finding you."

Stefan and Damon stood in front of Tyler – eyes considering the area and calculating their odds. But all three new the truth; they were outnumbered – greatly outnumbered.

"Make them suffer," Brady ordered and like a powerful storm, the wolves attacked.

* * *

_Reviews would be great! _


	8. VIII

_I'm suffocating. I need you to breathe.  
So reach down and pull me up.  
Pull me up before I am buried beneath.  
-_Buried Beneath_ (Red)_

VIII.

"Tyler!" Stefan yelled out in fear as a group of five advanced on them. Tyler quickly stepped backwards, until his back was pressed up against the back of the house. There wasn't anywhere for him to go and he began to panic. As Damon attacked, fangs extended and a murderous excitement in his eye, Tyler glanced down at Caroline. Stefan did his best to keep back the waves of attacks as Damon ran forward acting as the offensive. The Lockwood could feel the excitement in the air – the drawl of the battle enticing the animal instinct inside. He could feel Brady's anger and disgust, but if anything, the man seemed more excited than pissed. This fight amused him, and in that second Tyler knew that he didn't care if he lost ten brothers, as long as by the end of the night he had three vampire heads on a spike.

He kneeled onto the ground, resting the lower part of Caroline's body on the grass.

"Caroline?" he whispered softly, staring at her unresponsive form with desperation. At the sound of his voice, she stirred and whispered something but was too deprived to do anything else. Slowly he lowered her onto the ground before standing back up and stepping protectively in front of her. By now Stefan had also been dragged into the fight, leaving Tyler alone to defend both himself and the unconscious vampire behind him. The pack began to circle around him, their eyes glowing in the moonlight. Tyler could feel their hesitation – their unwillingness to attack one of their own. But he could also feel their desire to slaughter the girl behind him, and there was no way he would allow that – and he made sure _they _knew it as well. As the realization dawned on each of them, their expressions changed from confusion to betrayal. Tyler tightened his fist in preparation.

And suddenly, a powerful current sizzled through the air. It made the hair on Tyler's body stand on edge, his heart skipping a beat in panic and fear. He didn't allow the alarm to show on his face though, not even when two of the members parted to make room for Brady. The title 'alpha' gave him authority, gave him prestige - it made Tyler feel inclined to bow before him; to listen and follow without hesitation. But he refused, and Brady noticed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked with angry eyes, stopping about three feet in front of him.

"I told you to leave her out of this," he responded, voice low and controlled.

A bitter laugh echoed from his throat as an arrogant smirk formed on his lips. "Tyler, you don't seem to get this. She is a vampire," as though that was explanation enough. "She lied to you; killed Mason—"

"That doesn't justify what you did!" His voice got a bit louder and stronger as anger clouded his judgment. He had only known Brady for a few days now, but he had observed enough to know just what kind of psychopath he really was.

He remembered what Stefan had told him the night Caroline had first been taken. At that time, he had been unwilling to believe the tales coming from the older vampire, but if he had been speaking the truth, that meant that Mason had been playing both sides; it also meant Caroline had no direct role in Mason's murder. Not to mention he had specifically told Brady and Jules that Caroline be left out of all this drama.

_Caroline_… Brady had put her through pain that she didn't deserved. It didn't matter that she was a vampire – she had been there for him when no one else had and he couldn't leave her to die when he could prevent it, not after what she did; not after what she risked.

Brady also remained silent after Tyler's comment, apparently lost in thought as well. He bit the bottom of his lip and stared Tyler in the eye, as though trying to understand why this boy cared so much about a disgusting vampire. Finally, his face sobered up and he nodded in agreement, his eyes serious.

"You're right.' Tyler narrowed his eyes at the man's confession, more terrified that he actually agreed with him. "You're absolutely right."

In the distant, Tyler saw Damon being thrown into a tree and splintering the side of the bark in pieces. Four guys attempted to take him down, but Damon was fast and quick on his feet – maneuvering between bullets and strikes quite gracefully. Stefan moved with such speed that he was nothing more than a small blur of color as he tried to avoid the wooden shots aimed in his direction. But it seemed every time one of the brothers managed to take down one of the wolves, he was replaced by two more.

Brady took a daring step forward, eyes briefly glancing down towards Caroline before returning to Tyler.

"A life for a life right?"

"What?"

"That's fair, right? _That's_ the reasonable solution." Fear made Tyler tense – Brady wasn't making any sense, and the look on his face made his insides squirm. His left foot shifted back in preparation, his throat tight and heart racing. But Brady remained quite placid, "I shouldn't have kept her locked up; shouldn't have had my fun – because it wasn't right."

Tyler's mouth became dry.

"I should have just killed her…because that's what's fair."

"Brad—" but before he could voice his name, Brady ran forward and wrapped his fingers around Tyler's neck, squeezing with a powerful and angry grip. Tyler stumbled backwards but was held in place by Brady's grasp. He began to choke as the air was sucked from his lungs, the blood rushing to his face.

Brady's face wasn't calm of placid anymore – it was furious.

"I told you if you had a problem you would have to deal with me." Brady chewed out with a deadly and livid growl. Seconds later, Tyler felt a blow to his stomach which sent him reeling on the floor and moments after that, a sudden kick dug into his side. He growled out in pain, trying to ignore the cracking of his own ribs as the soft grass tickled his face. Brady grabbed the front of his shirt and punched him across the jaw so hard that Tyler could taste blood on his lip. The world spun violently as he felt himself being tugged up again, but a voice rang out amidst the chaos.

"Brady!" _Jules_ "Brady! What the hell are you doing? He isn't the one we're fighting!"

Brady made a sound of disgust and pushed the wolf onto the ground, spitting at his feet as he approached the sleeping girl a few feet away. He didn't address Jules's words, ignoring them instead. He bent down next to Caroline as Tyler turned onto his stomach, his eyes searching frantically as his vision blurred in and out.

"There is only one thing I can't stand more than vampire's," he spat out, kneeling down and grabbing Caroline around the throat, pulling her up. She let out a groan of discomfort, her head lolling to the side as Brady pulled out a stake.

Tyler's eyes widened in panic.

"And that's blood traitors." Brady finished giving Tyler one final look before thrusting the stake down.

"NO!" Tyler screamed, trying to crawl over to them fast enough but knowing he would never make it.

What occurred next happened so fast that Tyler had trouble understanding it.

All he knew was that part of the stake was plunged into Caroline's chest, and that Brady had been thrown backwards and forced against the paneling of the house. In the corner of his eye, he noticed a few other people being shoved through the air by some kind of invisible force – some were slammed into trees, cracking and splintering the wood while others were forced flat on the dirt ground, a suffocating pressure restricting any movement.

A voice pierced the air and everyone turned to look.

"Is this what you're searching for?"

Elijah stood in the clearing a few feet away – Jonas next to him, ancient whispers trailing from his parted lips. His hands were outstretched towards the ground and his eyes were closed deep in concentration. Seconds later, his chanting stopped and the wolves were released from the invisible chains. Brady fell to the ground, panting softly and glaring at the new additions.

The air suddenly felt electrified – Tyler was paralyzed with fear; too afraid to do anything – to move, to breathe, to blink. His body trembled on the ground but he still couldn't find the strength to look away. Many of the others also seemed caught in the ancients' hold because no one dare moved or uttered a single a word.

Damon apparently, did not find the need to keep still. He leaned against a tree covered in blood – whether it be his own or an enemy's, Tyler couldn't tell. His fingers and hands were dripping with fresh blood – matching the color of his eyes, fangs drawn and body tense, ready to attack. Stefan was about a yard away from him, on the ground and panting for air. From his vantage point, he could see the blood soaking through the man's sleeve; a wooden bullet still hot lodged deep in his bicep. Both were staring at Elijah, a mixture between shock, gratitude, and resentment on their faces.

Elijah held in his hand the moonstone, and in the moonlight it almost glowed in the dark.

The ancient stared at the wolves, a look of pure serenity carved into his features. It was as if being surrounded by a pack of werewolves was just as normal as eating and sleeping.

"You must be Elijah," Brady gritted out, eyes intense with both shame and anger. Elijah turned his head, nodding softly.

"I thought I told you all to leave."

The wolves were silent. Jules was standing near the basement door, a petrified look on her face. She glanced at Brady but failed to catch his eye.

Elijah shrugged and played with the stone. "Is this stone really worth risking your lives?"

A sudden tenseness spread across the field as the wolves tried to communicate to one another, torn between fleeing the area or standing their ground and fighting.

"Well if it is, by all means please." Elijah raised his brows and dropped the stone on the ground, taking a step back and smiling gently. At first no one moved and Elijah just waited. A few of the members glanced at Brady for orders and after taking a few seconds to decide, he gave an abrupt nod and the wolves pounced for the stone.

Brady disappeared in a flash of color, joining in the fight to get the stone. Suddenly the silence was replaced with sounds of pain and anger; feral grunts and hisses that only animals make filled the air and seconds later the metallic scent of blood dispersed. They were fast, but Elijah was faster. He killed anything that came within a 10 foot radius of the stone – soon body parts and organs lay littered on the fresh grass, screams and moans of the dying reaching his ears. But something stood out among the screams and gurgles of the battle before him, and that was the frantic breathing and soft whimpering of the blond laying merely yards away from him.

He ripped away from his spot on the ground and crawled towards Caroline, holding his breath and stumbling slightly as he neared. When he saw her, the battle around him disappeared. He focused on the stake plunged in her chest and began to panic. What should he do? He didn't know much about vampires – after all Caroline had never really indulged on the details surrounding them.

"Stefan!"

More blood was pouring from her chest where the wood was forced into her body. Tyler was afraid to touch her, scared that he may just worsen her condition. As he lifted his head, he noticed Stefan turning to look towards his direction. When he noticed Caroline and the state of her body, his eyes widened slightly and he scrambled to get up. A wolf noticed his struggle and pounced, landing on top of his body and refusing to allow him to move.

Caroline groaned below him, trying desperately to open her eyes, but even if she were successful, her vision was nothing more than a blur of color and shadow. Her sight was hindered but her smell wasn't, and she could pick up on every single drop of blood that fertilized the ground. There was tons of it, soaking and spreading like fertilizer across the ground - veins seeping further and further away from its host, reaching blindly out towards her with devious temptation. Soon she thought she was floating in a pool of the crimson honey. The need to feed blinded her completely and she could feel it affecting her body – she would hand herself over to the monster – ignore the pain and weakness and spike driven halfway into her body dangerously close to her heart, but a voice stopped her and as soon as she heard it, she felt a bit more grounded – a little more human.

"Ty-Tyler?" her voice was weak and barely audible, especially with the screams and shouts and sounds of gunfire, but Tyler heard it and he looked down at her frantically. He lifted her gently into his lap, his body tense with caution. He looked around for Stefan once more, his fingers hesitantly floating near the wood, but a flash of blond distracted him and before he could yell, Jules stood to his immediate left.

Brady was currently engaged in a fight and most of the other werewolves were distracted – fighting a battle that they would no doubt lose. As more and more corpses lined the grounds, Jules's eyes grew more and more desperate.

"Tyler," she called out, taking a few quick steps forward. "We need to go. Come on!"

He gave her an incredulous look, his breathing surprisingly calm. She apparently recognized the look in his eyes because she paused in her advancing and took a deep breath.

"Listen Tyler, before it's too late—"

"I told you to leave. I told you to leave _them_ out of this."

"There was nothing I could do! Brady was too convinced; too consumed with anger and revenge."

"I smelt your scent down there." Tyler narrowed his eyes at her as he voice changed to a deadly whisper. "You knew exactly what was going on; after I asked you…"

Jules held her breath and paused for a brief second, but the sounds of agonizing screams shook her and she desperately stepped forward, glancing at Caroline only for a brief moment.

"Tyler – I didn't lie. A vampire can never be your friend. It's called instinct – we emotionally detest the other. But I – _we_ are your friends; your family. We are a pack and we will never abandon you no matter what. We're the only thing you have – the only people who can understand."

There was so much rage inside of him at that moment he physically couldn't form words. His body temperature flared up as he turned his head to look down at Caroline who was once against struggling to breathe. Her chest was rapidly rising and falling, the stress and need to breathe forcing her to wheeze and croak for air. Her body shook and trembled, tears dripped down her face and her eyes scrunched with pain and agony. It reminded him of his transformation. The smell of the dirt and the feel of it coating his naked skin; the pain that rippled across his body, twisted his bones and boiled his blood; the sudden, undying need for air – it had been him.

But he also remembered the sound of her voice, the feel of her cool skin against his feverish flesh; the stubborn whispers in his ears and the clinging strength of her body refusing to leave – refusing to allow him to face the pain and the torture alone.

_I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere._

He grinded his teeth together, sick with guilt and anger and shame and so fucking mad at his own stupidity. This situation could have been different – if he hadn't been so much of a coward; so pigheaded and rash he might have been able to prevent this.

His grip on Caroline's arm tightened a bit more as he turned his head back to Jules.

"I'll risk it." His words were a primal growl – one laced with warning. Jules stared at him, a look of disbelief spreading across her features. She stood dumb for a few seconds, shaking her head.

"They will turn on you, mark my words," she forewarned.

"I want you to leave – this time I mean it. If you ever come back, I'll kill you myself."

Jules shook her head in absolute denial. But a sudden groan ripped through the air – a groan that distinctively belonged to one man that no one could mistake for another. Both Jules and Tyler looked towards Elijah to see that his arm was currently plunged deep inside Brady's body, squeezing at something inside. Jules cried out in horror, screaming and sending a wild curse towards them. Her expression turned into pure fury before she suddenly disappeared, nothing more than a soft breeze. The remaining survivors followed quickly after her, escaping if they could and disappearing into the woods within seconds. Howls of pain and sorrow echoed in the distance until the surrounding area became eerily quiet.

Brady stared at the vampire, a look of denial, pain, anger, and fear shining past his blue eyes. As Elijah twisted his hand, he let out a sudden groan and began to cough, blood trailing down his lips. Elijah smirked, squeezing the man's heart and rupturing it inside the chest cavity.

"Werewolves – you're just as stupid and careless as dogs." He ripped his hand out, throwing the strewn pieces of the remaining heart onto the grass. Brady fell heavily onto the ground, staring out towards the woods with a desperate and sad look. "Except sometimes, dogs will follow orders."

After the original was finished, he let out a deep sigh and retrieved the moonstone, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaning his hand. He turned to find Damon and scowled softly. "This will be the third time I've saved your life now – or is it the forth?"

Damon grimaced but ignored the man, turning to find his brother who was attempting to get up. Stefan looked towards the man with gratitude. "Elena?"

"Is safe," Elijah promised. "I made sure she was protected. Although Stefan, leaving her alone with an amateur witch is not exactly the type of protection I expected from her two knights." Elijah criticized, glancing between Damon and him. Stefan sighed deeply and ignored the pain in his arm turning and quickly running over towards Tyler and Caroline. He knelt down beside the panicking wolf and examined the stake.

"It didn't pierce her heart – as long as we can remove it without it rupturing her heart, she'll be fine."

A giant breath that Tyler didn't realize he was holding broke passed his lips as relief washed over him. His body still felt strained though – as focused as he was on Caroline's condition, the animal inside of him was scared stiff. The ancient vampire that stood a few yards away made the blood pumping in his body turn cold. His body was tense as though preparing to be hit, but the man named 'Elijah' never even glanced his way. His presence alone was enough to make Tyler almost pass out. Damon exchanged a few words with the man before he and the warlock he brought with him disappeared into the forest.

Stefan gripped the wooden spike lodged in Caroline's chest making Tyler freeze in anticipation.

"Hold her," Stefan breathed waiting until Tyler had a good grip around the girl's shoulders. He then tugged up and ripped the weapon out. Tyler closed his eyes when he heard the pained cry ripping through Caroline – he could feel her trembling in his arms, hear her desperate, breathless pleads to stop. It was over within seconds but it left Tyler light-headed and very sick to his stomach.

xxx

"Stefan!" Elena stood next to Bonnie's car, biting her nail with anxiety. But when she noticed her boyfriend emerge from the shadows of the woods, she was both relieved and anxious. The first thing she noticed was the blood that covered him; she couldn't tell if it were his own or someone else, but the sight alone made her hesitate in her steps.

Stefan quickly closed the space separating them and pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. She closed her eyes and hugged him back with all her strength. She could smell the strong scent of dirt and blood covering him, but she ignored it, so grateful that he had come back to her.

"We were about to come find you. We were so worried."

A sound from Bonnie made her turn her head. It sounded like a mix between a petrified croak and a sharp gasp, and when Elena glanced at her, she saw the pure look of horror etched on her face. Elena held her breath and peeked her head around Stefan's shoulder, only to make a similar noise as all the oxygen was stolen from her body.

Damon and Tyler came out of the clearing – the latter holding an unconscious, bleeding, and bruised Caroline in his arms. The sight of her had Bonnie stumbling forward, tears instantly filling her eyes and pouring past lids. Elena followed, ripping herself away from Stefan's strong arms to walk towards the pair. She could feel her emotions grab hold of her; and the shock and disbelief and astonishment made her tremble. Her feet were moving towards the blond before she could even think, but before she got too close, Damon stepped in front of her blocking her path. The girl glanced up at him in a daze, looking confused and slightly irritated.

"Damon, what—"

"Don't get too close to her." He was using his "serious voice" and had that wary expression in his eyes. The blood covering the one side of his face made his blue eyes almost glow in the dark, and she could tell by looking into them that he wasn't trying to be funny or cute.

"Why not?"

"Because she hasn't fed in three days…"

Did Damon honestly think Caroline would lose control and attack them? But as she thought about it, she realized Damon's logic was reasonable– she had witnessed first hand the power blood had on a vampire. She could still remember the lust and excitement in Stefan's eyes; the way he could lie and feel no remorse or show any evidence – the line that separated human from demon was thin, and in the end – blood was usually everything.

Her eyes noticed Tyler and she narrowed her eyes slightly, turning her head to glance at Stefan, "Why are you letting Tyler hold her then?"

Damon was quick to answer with a rolling of his eyes, "Because we don't give a damn whether _he _lives or dies."

The truth was Tyler had refused to allow either vampire to carry her back. Not once had he taken his hands away from Caroline; it was as if he was afraid she would slip through his grasp if he released her for even the briefest of seconds. The entire time, his eyes were focused on Caroline's bruised and bleeding face. His eyes were wide with fear and revulsion, but he showed no other emotions. His body was tense and on edge, like a balloon about to burst, and the strain of his emotions was practically physical to all those around him.

Elena wondered if it was something werewolf related – something in his blood and bones that made the earth around him react so subserviently. It was strange – even though he wasn't making a sound or expressing any thoughts or emotions, she could feel the anger – she could feel the disbelief, the horror, and the agony from within. If the others noticed, no one acknowledged it.

Stefan placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze, glancing at Bonnie quickly. He ordered Elena, Jeremy, and her back inside the car and they quickly agreed, jumping inside and starting the car. The brother than moved to the trunk of the van and opened the back door.

"Put her down here."

Tyler looked at him and hesitated. His hands and arms were trembling, panic choking at his brain. At first he refused to move. He didn't want to put Caroline down – he was afraid if he let her go she would fall apart, but when he heard her labored breathing, he quickly moved forward and set her down gently in the back of the car. Stefan noticed the man's protectiveness and tried to be sympathetic, but at the moment he couldn't worry about Tyler's issues.

"I'll stay with her, you sit in the back."

"But I-," Tyler began but was cut off.

"You're blood is just torturing her more – right now, I'm the best person she can be around."

His feet were firm in the ground – he was stubborn and very protective of the things that belonged to him…

He shook his head at the absurd thoughts that formed inside his mind. What did make sense was Stefan's explanation; he tried to remind himself over and over again. So instead of arguing, which was very Lockwood-esque, he nodded his head and tore himself away from the shaking girl.

The doors slammed shut and Bonnie hit the gas.

The ride back to the Salvatore manor was…intense. Bonnie drove like a madwoman – half crazed and half horrified of the condition of her best friend. Elena kept insisting they take Caroline to the hospital; adamant in her belief that the girl's wounds were too serious to just wrap up back at the manor – as to which Damon smartly responded that bringing a living-dead vampire to a hospital was never a bright idea. Jeremy kept asking Bonnie if she wanted him to drive - to just calm down and take her time. And what with Tyler's suffocating concern and incessant questions, and Damon's jeers and yells regarding Bonnie's driving, it was a wonder any of them made it back to the manor without biting each others heads off.

The entire time Stefan tried his best to block out everything else, instead simply focusing on the fragile child lying in front of him. He had positioned himself so he was sitting in the back with Caroline. As they drove, he tried to assess her condition a bit more. Bullets littered her torso – so many that he was having trouble counting them – not only that but she had stab wounds covering her skin. The skin had managed to close but the area remained raw and tender meaning that the wolves must have coated the weapon in vervain to prevent it from healing completely. Her neck was the thing that worried him – even though the spikes were now removed, the holes weren't closing. Her body didn't have the strength to heal itself anymore – her vampiric powers were completely spent, so much that the girl could barely lift a finger.

She was covered in dirt and blood, her skin tattered and torn. The area below her eyes was slightly cleaner and he realized with great revulsion that her tears had cleaned and created clean trails from her eyes down to her cheeks. As the car turned a sharp corner, Stefan closed his eyes and tried to keep his breathing even. His hands were on her skin – one resting on her forehead while the other gripped her weak hand. He didn't want her to forget; didn't want her to think she was still down in that pit, alone and desperate. He could feel her beneath his palms, feel her trembling with fear, and he had to count back from ten to stifle the anger that suddenly seized him.

"You- you're n-not goin- to-"

Her voice reached his ears and he quickly opened his eyes, staring down at her. Her eyes were shut but he could see that behind her closed lids, her eyes were moving frantically. He quickly repositioned himself and leaned down to talk to her.

"Caroline, you're going to be okay."

Tears dripped from the corners of her eyes as her face grimaced with pain. Stefan let out a heavy sigh and looked out the window, judging how quickly they would make it back to the manor. In all his years as a vampire, he had never seen one of his own so cruelly ripped apart. Especially not someone like Caroline – she didn't deserve this and a prickling panic in the back of his mind made his blood turn cold. She would never recover from this torture – this experience would damage her for the rest of her life – and that pain and fear would never be forgotten.

He just hoped that they could still reach her.

* * *

_R&R please. _

_One more week and then new episodes - so excited. Oh and btw, Tyler is coming back (if any of you don't know that by now)!_

_I posted a link in my profile of a panel with Michael Trevino (Tyler), Candice Accola (Caroline), and Julie Plec (Exec. Prod) and in it they talk about possible Forwood; also you can see Michael's and Candice's chemistry off screen. It's really funny and sweet and reveals a lot of what might happen. _


	9. IX

_I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and it's probably my favorite thus far. It just flowed very nicely. Sorry for the long wait but school's ending and I am swamped. Enjoy this chapter guys and make sure to tell me what you think! I apologize for the likely spelling/grammatical mistakes.  
_

_BTW, I highly suggest listening to Broken Bones by Rev Theory for this chapter. It's a beautiful song. _

* * *

_Now I am calling hoping you'll hear me.  
We all need somebody to believe in something.  
And I won't fear this when I am falling.  
We all need somebody that can mend these broken bones.  
-_Broken Bones_ (Rev Theory)_

IX.

Pain – basically it's just the result of a series of electrical and chemical exchanges between the body's nerves and the brain. The brain signals the thalamus which quickly interprets the message and then forwards them to the thinking part of the brain – the cerebral cortex, and to the brain's limbic center. The limbic center creates the emotions of anxiety, fear, and of frustration – intensifying the pain and making it real. It sounded so simple during class; pain was simply your brain _making_ you react to something unpleasant. If that were true, it could be turned on and off like emotions.

Bullshit.

When Stefan had told her that it was possible to switch emotions on and off, she refused to participate – becoming cold and cruel without remorse like Damon sounded like a horrible way to live and if anything, she wanted to continue being human as much as possible. That meant enduring through the good and the bad and she understood that. But now, she wished there was some way to turn off the pain – or at least lessen its burden.

She was drowning in agony – every bone felt shattered in her body. Her skin felt seared and charred as if she had been swimming in an acid lake. Every time she breathed, she would feel a tightness in her chest that prevented her from fully filling her lungs. Every part of her body hurt, but it was impossible to pinpoint the exact places that needed to be healed.

She wasn't aware of her surroundings – she couldn't even remember why she felt the way she did. Voices were everywhere but for the life of her, she couldn't place them. Where was she? Why was she in so much pain? Every few minutes, her lips would part and she would mutter out strange sentences – but she couldn't even comprehend what she was saying, nor could she control the words. Her mind was disconnected from her body, each acting on its own. The only link that connected the two was the horrendous pain.

Voices again – someone was speaking.

There were other sounds as well – loud ones that made her flinch and tense. Seconds later she felt the world spin violently and she did all she could to settle the contents in her stomach. Someone was touching her – there arms positioned underneath her legs and on her back. Her limbs hung loosely and fell as dead weight, swinging limply as the person continued to walk. She let out a groan of discomfort, but twisted her head until it fell against someone soft and warm. Her breathing although still labored, calmed slightly.

"Put her here."

"Elena, grab the kit from my bathroom."

Her body was placed on something hard and sturdy. Seconds later, she heard the sound of something ripping. Fabric perhaps? Her chest suddenly was a bit colder and she squirmed a little when she felt someone peeling what felt like a layer of her own skin. Hands were on her legs, carefully squeezing each area as though searching for something. He analyzed her ankles before squeezing her calves, moving up to check the area around her knees and finishing up by examining her thighs. The person then moved on to do the same thing to her arms – wrists, forearms, upper arms. This process was repeated on different parts of her body. She was turned onto her side and felt fingers running up her spine and neck. When pressure was placed along her side, she let out a small grunt of discomfort.

"Fractured ribs."

"Wait, I thought vampires had quick healing abilities?"

"Something must be preventing the bone from healing."

She could sense them – at least five; two that were of her own kind. Strong hands were on her body, examining every inch of her skin – poking and prodding and irritating. She wished they would just let her sleep; the words were loud in her ears although she couldn't comprehend their meaning. Mixed with the anxious voices was a soft clinkering of metal. Suddenly something dug deep into her – burrowing its way underneath her skin and grinding and piercing her torn, burnt flesh. Her eyes were opened for a brief second, before she squeezed them shut, twisting and pushing away from the pain. Distressed noises came from her mouth as she lifted her arms to swat at whatever was being forced inside of her.

"Damon, hold her arms."

A pair of strong hands grabbed her and forced her down flat on the wood beneath her. But she refused to remain compliant. Whatever they were doing made the already tender and agonizing pain even worse and she desperately wanted to avoid any more suffering. Not only that but with each aggressive shove, she could feel the dark tamed waters of sleep being pushed further and further away until the only thing that awaited her was more pain.

The instrument, whatever it was, was pulled out of her chest and with it, the burning piece of wood lodged in her torso. The pain was intensified for a brief second before the sting began to subside. Her skin tried to patch itself up, but due to her lack of blood and energy, it moved at an alarming slow rate. Even as her body started to relax, the strong grip on her body remained. But only seconds later, the pain returned and this time the digging was more desperate.

She arched her back and tried to move her frail body, whimpering uselessly as the foreign object dug deep inside. Consciousness was now returning; the hopes of the freedom of sleep forgotten. But she still couldn't remember where she was or why she was in so much pain. A murky haze made her head spin as the world twisted and rocked back and forth. Voices, they were everywhere.

"What can we do to help?"

"Grab a few blood packets from the cellar."

_Footsteps._

"Tyler, are you alright?"

_Silence. _

"This bullet – it's lodged deep. I can't grab it."

Pressure…and more pain.

Her gasps and groans were loud in her ears – and she continued to fight against whoever was trying to prevent her from moving.

"Come on Blondie; this'll be easier if you just stopped twitching."

_This will be easier if you just answer my questions…_

His voice whispered through her subconscious like a deadly purr and her heart immediately began to pound. She could remember…blood and screams. The taste of her own tears; the fear lodged in her throat; the desperation; the surrender….

Just as Stefan pushed the medical pliers back into her skin to get out the third bullet, Caroline let out a power gasp and a sharp shriek of defiance filled the air. Damon, who was caught of guard, lost control of her for a brief second and within that second Caroline managed to sit up partially. She kicked her legs and tried to free herself, but before she could jump off the table, Stefan had a firm grip of her legs. Damon's arms quickly seized her again and he pushed her torso flat on the table, his hand around her neck in an attempt to hold her down. But she refused to give up; somewhere she had found strength to fight again.

_She was still down in that pit. _

She cried and squirmed, yells and shouts and orders sounding off next to her.

_They were going to kill her; she had to survive – the demon inside of her needed to survive, even if the human had given up. _

She would occasionally open her eyes and surrounding her green hue was a glowing red – she groaned and cried and felt hot tears running down her face, but still their hands would not release her.

"P-please! I told you what you w-wanted to k-know!" She cried, altering between delusion and reality.

_A sharp pain in her chest – a digging; a grinding and more agony. _

"Damon!"

"What's wrong with her?"

"Elena, grab the chains from the basement!"

"Hurry up Stefan!"

"She won't lie still…"

Her chest heaved as her breathing turned frantic, visions of Brady slicing into her skin haunting her. Her broken sobs filled the room as she attempted to twist her body. The hand around her neck tightened as the grip on her arms became painfully superior.

"Stop," she croaked out. "Please, s-stop…"

The voices around her continued to bark out orders - the pressure on her body: forceful and unsympathetic. She was going to die – die from the relentless agony. But suddenly warm, strong hands were on her face, cupping her cheeks and wiping away the warm tears. Seconds later, a voice broke through the dark fog close to her ear.

"Caroline, you're going to be okay."

The voice was barely a whisper – words meant for her and only her. She could feel his warm breath against the side of her face and the proximity and tenderness made her shiver. Her body relaxed for a second, her head turning as though searching for the owner. Her eyes were closed – and the only thing she was aware of was darkness and flashes of the torture she endured. She was stuck in her delusion – suffering from hallucinations and bending to their horrors. But the voice caused everything to stop – the visions, the dreams, the panic – it made the pain subside if only for a brief second.

And like a click, she could place the voice, "Tyler?" She twisted her head, her lips parted and desperate – her eyes remained closed but she arched her neck back in an attempt to get closer to the voice. As Stefan pulled out the third bullet, she released a soft whimper. "Pl-lease get m-me out of here." She begged the wolf, as the sound of wood against metal filled the air. Tyler placed one hand on her forehead, and tilted his head down so he was inches from her face.

"Caroline – open your eyes for me."

She shook her head, her throat dry and burning. "I-I can't." She was distracted by the sound of footsteps, but his voice grounded her. "Yes you can. Open your eyes." His voice was unwavering – burning with a strength and calmness she didn't recognize. The instrument was pushed inside of her again, rummaging through and breaking skin in its desperate search. Her body tightened but she tried to concentrate on the sound of his voice, not the pain in her torso and the soreness in her body. Very slowly, she forced her eyes open – fresh, warm tears trailed down her face and her eyes were bloodshot and unfocused. But after blinking, she could make out the upside down face a few inches away from her own.

"You aren't down there anymore – you're safe." He promised her, and reluctantly, she believed him. She just hoped she wasn't in for a rude awakening – perhaps this was all just a dream or a hallucination. Maybe Tyler wasn't here and she was still hanging in that horrible hellhole – but she didn't care at the moment. Right now she just wanted to remain dreaming – here with Tyler.

His hands were gentle on her skin, but ever-present; proof to his explanation. His one hand slid underneath her chin to rest softly on the side of her neck while the other lay placid on her forehead. He made a small face when he noticed just how frigid her skin felt, resembling that of a sheet of ice. Was this normal? He didn't know how a vampire's body worked – apparently Caroline still had a heartbeat, still breathed like a normal person – her skin was fair, but not a pasty white, suggesting she had blood flow. But now she was barely breathing, her pulse was faint, her skin five shades lighter than normal, and her body temperature was shockingly cold. He wanted to ask Stefan, but the man was still working on removing all the vervain-tainted, wooden bullets.

After an excruciating fifteen minutes, all the bullets were removed. Now the problem was that they weren't closing. The charred and impaled skin around her neck remained opened and torn – as did some of the fresher knife stabs.

"You got 'em?" Damon turned to Bonnie who was silently crying in the corner. When he focused on her, she hesitated for a brief second; her eyes glued to the vampire on the table but eventually looked towards Damon, nodding in response. Reaching out a shaking hand, she handed him three blood packs. Stefan had moved towards Elena, grabbing the chains with bloody hands and moving back towards Caroline. He stared at Tyler for a brief second with an unrecognizable expression, but eventually began to wrap the chains around her arms and legs, looping them around the table and locking them in place. Tyler glanced up, the soft whispers that were directed to Caroline ceasing.

"What are you doing?"

"She needs to feed – but giving blood to a starved vampire can be dangerous."

Tyler didn't understand – Caroline after all could barely even move. It was true; sometimes she would have random bouts of energy, but not enough to require chains. He didn't like it – seeing Caroline tied and chained down, as though she was some kind of animal – it didn't sit right with him. Damon moved in closer and handed the blood to Stefan before turning and shushing the wolf away.

"You can go stand over there now with the humans." At Tyler's scowl, Damon put on a fake smile. "It's for your own protection. Wouldn't want vampire Barbie to bite off your head now would we?" As Tyler took a few step backs, Damon turned muttering a sarcastic, "That would be tragic," as he focused on Caroline.

Caroline let out a soft noise of discontent when the warm touch went away and tilted her head up as though searching for her friend's presence, but Stefan quickly replaced his spot, leaning his head down and speaking very softly to Caroline. She twisted her head and gasped softly as though just realizing that Stefan was also present. She relaxed softly as he spoke kind words to her.

"I'm going to give you some blood – but I need you to try and control yourself as best you can." Caroline looked up at him with beseeching eyes. Without realizing, the girl had begun to lick her lips in preparation, her eyes becoming a shade darker as she imagined the taste of the nectar on her lips. But she tried to focus on Stefan's words, remembering to breathe – remembering not to allow the demon inside of her to take control – she had fought it thus far…

The taste of blood on her tongue sent her over the edge; immediately her arms tried to reach up to snatch the blood packet – but she found them restrained by something. Chains clinked and tightened painfully around her wrists, but she didn't care – she continued to struggle. The blood poured down her mouth, coating her raw and burnt throat and settling in her hungry stomach. Her entire body tensed, her fangs growing and latching onto the bag as she would do against skin. She wanted to hold the packet in place – wanted to prevent it from being taken away from her. She lifted her head up, as she closed her eyes enjoying the pure ecstasy of the feed.

But eventually the blood ran out and she felt the packet being torn from her mouth. In response, she let out a warning growl – falling flat on the table once more. She wanted more; she wanted gallons of the sweet wine. Her eyes transformed as she opened her mouth slightly, like a newborn bird waiting to be fed. Stefan obliged and lowered the packet so she could drink from it and she greedily sucked it dry – but she was loosing herself – she could feel the human voice of reason fading and being replaced by lust and gluttony. She couldn't stop herself and somewhere in her own mind, she started to panic, but still her throat muscles worked on gulping down the blood with such hunger it was frightening.

Stefan touched her forehead in a calming gesture and leaned down to look into her eyes, speaking almost telepathically to her. She was stuck behind a wall now as the blood packet was taken away and she couldn't seem to break through the hard glass blocking her from regaining control. The demon glared back at him, a murderous tint in her eyes. Warnings were shared between the two vampires; she demanding more blood, and he demanding the release of her human counterpart – but no words filled the air. Eventually a soft growl emitted from deep in her throat, ready to attack. She physically could not control her own body nor her actions, not even her thoughts! Part of her hated Stefan at the moment, wanted to rip him apart into a million different pieces then suck his blood dry from the bite-size meat. She wanted to tear his throat out, pluck his arrogant and over-confident eyes out. She tugged harder on the restraints, baring her teeth at him and attempting to lean up.

But his touch on her forehead made something inside of her flicker and instantly, his eyes changed – becoming less hostile and more sympathetic. He called out to her without saying her name and very slowly, the glass holding her back began to crack.

"What are they doing?" Someone asked, breaking the silence, to which Damon simply responded with, "Shush."

Stefan wrapped his hand around hers and squeezed tightly, urging her to fight a bit more. She pounded against the glass barricading her from control and leapt with great relief when it shattered and the devil disappeared back into the recesses of her mind – no more now than a morbid whisper.

"You okay?" Stefan asked, his eyes running down her body as he noticed the wounds starting to heal.

She nodded and closed her eyes, settling back down on the table. But now, her body and mind were both physically and mentally spent, and she welcomed the darkness that started to eat away at her vision. Sleep – it sounded so sweet now and for once in what seemed like forever, she wasn't frigid or uncomfortable. She felt her head rolling to the side and within seconds, she was gone.

"I-Is she okay?" Elena asked as she took a hesitant step forward.

Stefan straightened and nodded, letting out a tense sigh as he turned to look at her. "Yeah, her wounds are healing now – after a deprived vampire feeds, they usually fall into a lethargic state as their body gets use to the blood again. She'll sleep it off and hopefully by the time she wakes up, all her injuries should be healed."

Damon and Stefan began to unlock the chains binding her; as they worked, Bonnie moved closer to Caroline to get a good look and to assess the damage, both horrified and amazed by the healing power. Elena turned her head and noticed Tyler in the corner, looking pale and out-of-it. She took a step closer and placed a hand on his arm, squeezing it gently.

"Are _you _okay?"

Tyler didn't move – he didn't speak or make an expression – he just remained still, with this hard expression on his face. Elena grew worried. She had known Tyler for years, since they were kids, and never had she seen him look so pale and confused.

"Tyler…?"

"I just- I still can't believe it, you know?" His eyes remained glue on the group in the middle of the room.

Elena narrowed her eyes softly and glanced towards the middle of the room for a brief second before stepping in front of him, blocking his path.

"Tyler – if you're sympathizing with them… If even after everything that happened, you're confused about what you want to do," she paused, anger and determination burning brightly in her face. "Then I need to ask you to leave this house. If you can't be a constant…then none of us can depend on you."

He tilted his head down to regard her and allowed the emotions that were conflicting inside of him to show in his eyes.

"I don't trust them – but you need to understand. Ever since they've arrived, this weird attachment- or bond has grown; it's connected us and for some reason, despite the anger and fury I feel right now, I feel _inclined _to side with them." His eyes were pleading – begging her to understand what he was feeling. "But they can feel the rage – I know they can; and they're cringing from it." His face turned dark as he looked back up to watch Caroline.

But Elena was still worried, and after a second, he realized that she was still expecting an answer,

"…I hesitated last time," he began. "It won't happen again – I give you my word, despite what the curse tries to compel me to do, I will not betray Caroline again." He clenched his fists and grinded his teeth together as he thought about the blonde girl being hurt again, by his own kind.

The answer seemed good enough for Elena because she nodded and turned to witness the scene as well. She made a small face when Damon hoisted the frail girl in his arms.

"Alright – we'll be back."

"Whoa, whoa wait – where the hell do you think you're going?" Everyone in the room looked alarmed, staring at Damon with mixed looks of shock, distrust, anger, and confusion. Damon though raised his brows and laughed softly.

"Well, she's not going to lie in our guest bed covered in dirt and blood. Plus, she still has small traces of vervain on her skin, which can be very unpleasant and uncomfortable."

They still shook their heads, wanting to know what he planned on doing.

"Bubble bath – anyone? No?"

"Oh yeah right, like we're going to trust you to be alone with her like that!" Bonnie accused, stepping forward with defiant hands on her hips. Elena saw in the corner of her eye Tyler's body tense.

"Um, in case you've forgotten, we dated for a good two months." His eyes flickered dangerously towards Tyler for a brief second. "Don't worry – it's nothing I haven't seen before." His voice was sickly pleasant, the sexual innuendo obvious and plain – his voice dripped with the amusement. He stared at Tyler for a second, the challenge clear on his face.

Tyler clenched his fist and Elena swore his eyes changed colors for a brief second, but maybe it was just the lighting. She quickly interfered. "No way Damon – just help us get her into the bathroom – Bonnie and I will clean her up."

Damon actually pouted but eventually shrugged after receiving the murderous glares from both Tyler and Stefan.

"…just can't let me have any fun." He muttered. Stefan let out an exhausted sigh, rubbing the side of his head as he looked at his older brother.

"You're such a dick."

Damon didn't argue; he just offered a half smile and raised his brows, turning to lead the way to the bathroom.

* * *

_I love Damon - and I love jealous Tyler XD. _

_Next week's episode (not tomorrow's) Tyler returns. I just hope he doesn't die. It would suck if they brought him back just to kill him off. _

_Please, please, please review. Those numbers make me happy. :)_


	10. X

_My sincerest apologies. The past three weeks have been busy. I passed all my exams though - thank god. And summer vacation has been amazing so far. As of late, I've been catching up on some of favorite shows that I've missed this past year as well as beginning a new project - mixed with my work schedule and recently turning 21, my writing has slowed somewhat. But here is chapter 10! I hope you enjoy. _

* * *

_Watching you sleep for so long,  
knowing that I can't turn the rain into sun anymore.  
I've given you all that I have.  
Now I stand here, too scared to hold your hand.  
_

_I'm sorry. _

-Sleep Well my Angel (_We are the Fallen_)

X.

The water was crimson by the time they finished washing her. Her wounds were closed – the only indications of the horrible torture she had endure replaced by scattered red marks. Thankfully, Caroline was unconscious during the entire ordeal – remaining placid as Damon placed her into the tub, and blissfully unaware as Bonnie and Elena scrubbed her body clean. Despite Tyler's obvious discomfort, Damon still assisted the girls in the cleaning – mentioning something about the dangers of being left alone with a potential post-traumatic, blood thirsty vampire. But despite the teasing and smart-mouth comments, as soon as he lowered Caroline into the water, he was surprisingly a perfect gentlemen.

When they finished cleaning Caroline the best they could, he lifted her up and laid her body on the guest bed. Nobody really wanted to leave the house at that moment to go fetch some of Caroline's own clothing so instead Bonnie and Elena dressed her in some of Damon's– green and black flannel bottoms (which were way too big but would keep her warm) and an oversized white shirt. When they were finally finished, Elena walked down the hallway to find Jeremy, Stefan, and Tyler sitting in a parlour room.

"She's sleeping," Elena informed, putting on an uneasy but reassuring smile in hopes to quell not only the overwhelming intensity in the room, but to also suppress the growing nausea settling in her own stomach. She glanced down at her pruned hands and felt her eyes widen for a brief second – noticing red and brown stains coating her fingers and palms – only to blink a second later and find her skin clean. She closed her eyes for a brief second, focusing on keeping her breathing calmed and composed. It was getting late (or very early) and she could feel the adrenaline wearing off, her heart starting to slow its hammered beat until nothing was left but an exhausted mind and body.

Elena tried her hardest to focus, but all she could see when she closed her eyes was blood. After a second, she reopened them and shifted uncomfortably. Her sight was quickly drawn to her boyfriend who stood up from his seat, his concerned eyes glued on her, but before anyone could ask her that blasted question, she pushed her hands behind her back and changed the subject. "So what happens now?"

Stefan didn't have to be an empath to know that Elena was suffering – it was carved in her features, and haunted her eyes. Only a fool would think she was unaffected by everything that had just happened. But he suspected she didn't want to address whatever was bothering her, at least not now in front of everyone, and he could respect that, so he remained silent. But with her question came an alarming sense of uncertainty. Instead of answering, he turned to glance at Tyler, who was sitting rigidly on one of the chairs.

The wolf looked unsure for a brief moment, but after a pause he spoke up, "The wolves are terrified – Elijah scared them. They're still pissed, but they aren't willing to risk anything else to try and get back the moonstone. Not now, at least."

His fingers clenched around the arms of the wooden chair tightly, almost to the point where they began to tremble. The action did not go unnoticed among the inhabitants within the room, but it was Elena who first brought it up, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What's wrong?"

He remained silent for a while, seemingly conflicted.

"…the moonstone. Is it true? Does it have the ability to break the curse of the moon?"

An awkward and heavy tension filled every inch of the large room, and each person reacted differently to the question. Elena frowned and suddenly became very fascinated with the patterns on the rug. Her brother clenched his teeth together, glancing for a brief second at his sister before staring with a hard expression at her boyfriend. Stefan however hadn't moved – his only response being a slight narrowing of the eyes. Tyler could feel the atmosphere shift and glanced around the room, desperate to hear the truth…or at least _their _take on the truth. But when no one answered, he decided to prod a bit further.

"That's why she was taken right?" He stared at Stefan. "The wolves are _desperate_ to get that rock back – they're trying to prevent your kind from breaking the curse."

Finally Stefan reacted, a sigh breaking passed his lips as he leaned against the desk behind him for support, his head shaking in disbelief.

"We aren't trying to break the curse."

"Well, Elijah is—" Jeremy added bitterly, arms crossed tightly at his chest.

"—_but_ we aren't going to allow him to," Stefan assured, glancing up to give Jeremy a promising stare.

"Why not?" Tyler asked, generally confused. "Obviously _you_ can already walk around in the sunlight, but not all vampires can do that. Don't you want to break the curse?"

"They didn't explain to you how the curse worked, did they?" Stefan asked looking slightly frustrated but all-together composed.

Tyler shook his head, his brows knitting together from the tone of his voice.

"In order to break the curse, a ritual sacrifice must be performed."

"A sacrifice?"

Stefan nodded, licking his lips as he continued. "One would need to sacrifice a werewolf, a vampire, and the blood of the last human Petrova doppelganger."

Tyler shook his head in confusion but remained frozen in his chair waiting to hear more.

Stefan hesitated a beat, his eyes flickering towards Elena for a quick second before returning his dark gaze back to Tyler, "In order to break the curse, Elena has to die."

Time halted – and suddenly moved much slower. Tyler felt his stomach clench in horror, the back of his mouth dry as the hair prickled on the back of his neck. He averted his eyes away from Stefan to stare at the girl he had known since birth – the girl who had never done anything to deserve such a fate. Tyler and Elena had never exactly been close – they had more of a friendship when they were kids, but Tyler knew Elena was a good person; the type of person who had already been through too much. And now she was the centerpiece for this war-fueled sacrifice?

She though appeared surprisingly calm about the whole ordeal – still focused on the carpet beneath her feet.

"Elena—?" he croaked out.

"…is the doppelganger." Stefan finished.

"We'll have to introduce you to Katherine later." Damon chimed in as he entered the room, a shot glass filled with what looked like whiskey in his hand. "She's a peach."

"I-I didn't know," Tyler whispered, staring at the floor with wide eyes. Part of him was sickened by the information– completely blown away by the extreme measures it would take to end the curse. Of course, it made sense. It was after all _a curse_ – breaking it wasn't going to be a walk in the park. But with the new information came an unsettling dismay. Breaking the curse had been his only shot at normalcy. The terror of realizing that he was going to have to live the rest of his life as a slave to the moon made his entire system shut down – he couldn't think, breathe, or move.

"Are you willing to sacrifice innocent lives in order to break the curse?" Stefan asked with all seriousness, examining Tyler like a painting.

The question slammed into his chest with such a blow he could have sworn he'd been hit. He stared at Stefan for a brief second before glancing over towards Elena who had raised her eyes to look at him. Finally he shook his head.

"Of course not."

But then…what? The pain of transforming, it was unbearable – no one standing in this room could understand the torture. How would any of them handle this if put in the same situation?

Stefan must have sensed his consternation, because he took a step forward, compassion in his eyes. "Tyler we'll help you in any way possible – we'll find another pack of wolves, help keep you locked up – we'll figure out something, I give you my word."

Tyler mindlessly nodded, but otherwise remained still. He was alone again, without any hope or guidance – and he could feel the panic rising. And because of this distraction, he didn't see the deadly glare Damon sent towards Stefan. Stefan however ignored his brother, clearing his throat, "I should check on Caroline." He walked towards Elena and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

At the mention of her name, Tyler immediately perked up, standing and looking anxiously at the vampire.

"Can I- can I see her?" He asked hesitantly, looking at both Stefan and Elena as though asking for permission. Stefan nodded and led the way out of the room. They walked through the hallway in silence, each allowing the other a moment to their own thoughts. When they arrived, Tyler glanced around noticing the rich colors and magnificent furniture scattered across the room. The white blinds were closed, the early morning sunlight making small strips across the wooden floor. The bed itself matched the curtains: the comforter white and bright blue and, likewise, the furniture matched the bed - simple wooden shelves and side tables. The Lockwood's were rich and Tyler was well acquainted to large, luxurious houses, but this place made even Tyler raise his brows. Stefan walked close to the bed and sat down on it, placing his hand on the girl's forehead and checking what remained of her injuries. Tyler however, stayed at least a foot away from the bed, staring at the blonde with a sickened expression.

"Will she be alright?" He seemed to constantly be asking that question, and no matter how many times he got the answer, he was never convinced. Stefan brushed a blond curl away from her face, his jaw tight with stress and concern.

"Physically yes. Her wounds should be fully healed by tomorrow…," Stefan trailed off, a tense and wary expression on his face. Tyler could hear the 'but' forming on the end of that sentence, but remained silent, preparing himself for the truth. "Caroline's tough; she's strong, but it's only because of the walls she's built to protect herself."

Tyler nodded his head understanding as his eyes were drawn to the ground. As much as Caroline tried to cover everything up, the girl really did wear her emotions on her sleeve for everyone to see. Everyone knew Caroline was this neurotic, insecure, control freak. No matter how many times she would use her bright bubbly smile, her true emotions were always displayed in her eyes. But her heart was pure, as was her concern – and because of her poor self-esteem and family problems, the girl made walls and barriers in order to protect herself.

In the beginning of the school year, if someone asked Tyler what he thought about Caroline Forbes he would have told them she was this annoying, clingy, unconfident, drama queen. He himself was very judgmental when it came to people, and Caroline had been no different to him. Not to mention, the girl had 'stolen' his best friend away from him.

But becoming a vampire changed her, Stefan could see it; Tyler could see it. And Tyler witnessed first hand how much more complex Caroline truly was. If there was anyone in this world who could understand the motives behind Tyler's action, it was her.

Like a sickness, he could feel her devotion and honesty and concern rubbing off on him – and for once in his life, he gladly welcomed the feelings. Ever since this curse, Tyler too had experienced this strange rebirth. Tyler knew he was a dick – a possessive, jealous, rash, and spiteful person, but being around Caroline…he couldn't explain it. She brought out something in him that he never knew existed. How easy he could drop his walls around her until he was left completely exposed and vulnerable.

It scared him to death, but being around Caroline made him not only act differently, but _feel _differently. He saw things in a new perspective now.

"But this," Tyler snapped out of his insightful thoughts as Stefan's voice reached his ears. "No amount of protection could have prepared her for this." His eyes held a look of certainty, and Tyler realized that Stefan spoke of past, personal experience. He was curious, but didn't feel it was his place to ask, so instead he remained rooted in the ground, staring at the girl lying in the bed, noticing every twitch and grimace on her face.

Stefan glanced at Tyler, "Do you want the truth?" Tyler felt his mouth suddenly go dry, for he had never seen Stefan look so unsure. It was obvious now that the vampire had been putting up a front, a misleading reassurance this entire time. Why? Well, the answer was clear – he didn't want Elena and Bonnie to worry, but as Tyler looked at the man, he could see the fear and doubt written on his face – unguarded for anyone to see.

He didn't want to hear the answer that went with Stefan's grave expression, but his head nodded anyway.

"The truth… I don't know if she'll be okay. People think we're indestructible just because it's hard for us to die, but pain is still the same, if not worse, considering we can endure more and not die from the trauma." He grimaced in thought and looked away, staring out the window on the other side of the room. "I don't know if Caroline's wall was strong enough to handle something like this, and I'm afraid that a part of her will always remain chained to that pit."

Tyler stared at the floor, his stomach flopping back and forth. A sudden nausea almost made him sit, but he regained enough control to stifle the urge and instead focused on the wooden floor. To a human it would appear that Tyler was handling the information very well. His expression didn't change; neither did his demeanor or attitude, but Stefan could hear the blood pounding through his body. He could hear every flutter of the man's heart and knew that his sudden stoic appearance was merely a guise to hide the panic thundering through his system.

In an attempt to hide his growing alarm, Tyler cleared his throat and slowly lifted his eyes up to look into Stefan's. "What's- what's our worst case scenario?"

Stefan stared at him for a long time, hesitating this time as though unsure on whether he wanted to give him the truth once more. Eventually he let out a breath and tilted his head back to glance at the blond. "Worst case: she'll be an animal – slaughtering anything she views as a potential threat."

Tyler couldn't even perceive it – the image alone was inconceivable! Caroline killing anything and everything; the mere thought sent uncomfortable chills down his spine. She had once told him about the man she killed right after she was turned, but Tyler still had a hard time imagining Caroline taking someone's life – she was too…_good_. She was bubbly and always smiling and laughing – a darker, more demonic side seemed unreal.

He shook his head, over and over again. "No, she'll be Caroline again."

Stefan turned to look at him. He sounded so certain, but it didn't reach his eyes. He hoped Tyler was right, because Stefan really didn't want to kill Caroline, not after promising to protect her. He wasn't sure he could bring himself to do it.

Letting out a deep sigh, he pushed off the bed and nodded. "We'll try and give her some more blood in an hour – gradually feed her some while she's in comatose."

Tyler dug his hands deep into his pockets, clearing his throat in an attempt to find his voice. What should he do now? He suddenly felt very out of place. After all, he was a werewolf in a vampire's home. But he didn't want to leave, and he was afraid that after everything that happened, someone in the house would tell him to piss off. Stefan took one glance into the man's eyes and knew exactly what he was thinking. Trying to pass off as nonchalant, he semi-turned towards Caroline.

"I don't want to leave her alone – just in case anything happens, but I have to go talk to Elena and Bonnie. Do you mind sitting with her for a little while?"

Tyler eyes lifted with surprise for a brief moment and almost immediately he nodded his head, "Uh yeah, no problem."

Stefan offered him a smile of gratitude before walking out of the room, leaving the werewolf standing uneasily in the large room.

xxx

"What the hell was that little brother?"

Stefan was assaulted by Damon the moment he closed the door. His older brother was leaning against the wall opposite the door, a playful smirk on his lips. But despite his mischievous smile, Stefan knew the man was antsy. He was hiding something and whatever it was, was bothering him. Stefan narrowed his eyes, turning to walk down the hallway back towards the parlour room.

"What was what?"

"That little heart-felt moment between Lockwood and you."

Stefan's face scrunched in confusion as he stopped walking in order to turn and look at the man.

"What- what are you talking ab-?"

"_Why_ are you letting him stay here?" Damon emphasized, raising his brows with challenge. "And more importantly, why are you letting him be alone with Caroline?"

Stefan bit his lip for a second, and shook his head. "He won't hurt her."

"Mhm," Damon nodded sarcastically. "Quick lesson, werewolves and vampires don't mesh well. It's like dropping an infant who can't swim into a six-foot pool. Eventually it's going to drown."

Stefan narrowed one eye, completely confused and not exactly sure what Damon's point was.

"I told Caroline not to be his friend, and now I'm telling you: kill Tyler before he has a chance to kill us."

Stefan paused for a moment, before shaking his head. "No, absolutely not."

"Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?" Damon almost whined, growling out in frustration.

"Mainly because most of your plans involve killing someone close to those we care about."

"Correction, close to those who _you _care about," Damon spat back with angry eyes. But before Stefan could get too far, Damon reached out and grabbed his arm. "I'm serious Stefan. I don't want a werewolf in this house."

Stefan looked at his brother with curious eyes, trying to understand what had brought on this sudden hostile behavior. It didn't take him long to realized that Damon's thoughts were still haunted by the incident that happened only a few weeks ago – the pain and recognition that Rose's death had brought. Damon brushed off her death with nothing more than a shrug of the shoulders, but Damon had _cared_. His unwillingness to admit his feelings was only proof of that. But Stefan knew better than to press his brother for the truth, and at the time he offered him nothing but silence. But now there was no doubt in Stefan's mind: Damon was once again thinking about the fatal results a werewolf bite could bring.

_He was trying to prevent the same thing from happening to Caroline. _

It was wishful thinking – perhaps the man was only worried about protecting himself, but something in Damon's eyes convinced him otherwise. At Stefan's silence, Damon knew he had gotten his attention. He pulled his arm away and waited for his brother to no doubt disagree with him.

It took him a minute or two, but eventually Stefan proved him right. "Listen Damon, he won't hurt us – he physically can't until the next full moon which is more than two weeks away. But Caroline – she needs all the support she can get right now, and I think Tyler might be able to help her."

"You really think allowing him to stick around will benefit her in some way?" The dark-haired demon asked in disbelief, staring at Stefan with a raised brow.

Stefan was quick to answer with a strong retort, "Yes, I do."

"Well then you're just as stupid as Caroline – and look where that got her." Damon glared at his brother with glowing blue eyes as he pushed passed him, descending down the hall. Before he reached the parlour room he turned to speak over his shoulder, a forced carefree look on his face. But Stefan knew better – his brother was anything but amused. He wouldn't go as far as to say he was concerned, but there was something in his voice that made Stefan's stomach churn.

"I told her not to be his friend. She didn't listen to me and ended up a chew-toy." His blue eyes flashed dangerously, his voiced laced with a foreboding warning. "And now I'm telling you not to allow those two to get close." He shrugged and opened the door, tilting his head back. "You won't listen – I wonder what'll happen this time."

xxx

She was dreaming – she had to be because the things she saw weren't possible. The torture hadn't only broken her body, but also cracked her mind, and now as she lay peaceful and safe, the aftershock of the pain and horror was forcing her to hallucinate. Her skin was inside out but remained plastered on her body, her blood a sticky adhesive. Her vision spun violently, and flashes of random images flickered within her mind. Faces, blood, smoke, and acid – she could hear screaming; she _was_ screaming, but everyone around her continued to talk about mundane things as though nothing was out of the ordinary – like her pain meant nothing at all.

But as the time passed, the pain receded into nothing more than a heavy numbness – something that really, really scared her. She had grown accustomed to the constant suffering, and now that her body was warm once more and her limbs weren't stiff and broken, she feared a harsher repercussion if she believed. Another scream echoed across her subconscious mind like a powerful explosion and her body immediately tensed in preparation – but there was nothing – no lash or strike, just the same warmness.

She was swimming in a pool of blood – cold blood, and her stomach lurched as the scent reached her nose. The smell of it made her cringe – the sweet honey that she desired more than anything now made her sick. Pushing forward, she swam towards the horizon desperately trying to stand in the lake of crimson liquid. But the bottom was too deep and every time she lowered her toes, all she felt was more blood beneath her feet.

There was something up ahead in the murky waters and she quickly moved towards it, but when she realized what it was, her movements immediately halted. Bodies – she could see them now and very slowly more and more of them began to float to the surface. Dozens of dead bodies surrounded her and with great horror, she began to recognize them – her mother, Elena, Bonnie, Stefan…Tyler – they were all dead and covered in the cold blood.

She cried and wept, trying to push the bodies away from her, but they continued to surround her, a ring of death trapping her. Soon they were mere inches away and the only way she could think to escape them so they wouldn't touch her was to submerge herself under. Taking a shaky and terrified breath, she dropped herself and began to sink.

She curled her body into a tight ball, shutting her eye as her entire being became saturated with blood. She was weightless and light and warm – everything felt at peace and safe once again and she reveled in its comfort. Blood wrapped around her – sliding up her legs, around her naked chest and neck like ribbons creating a second skin. And for a split second, everything was perfect once more.

It wasn't until she parted her lips to breathe that she began to panic – no air, no oxygen; only blood. Her eyes flashed opened, seeing nothing but crimson darkness as she stretched her arms and kicked her legs, swimming desperately for the surface. Her lungs were beginning to ache, tight with need and desperation. The pain only made her kick harder, but she failed to make it to the surface before her body reacted. Her body moved on it's on, making her suck in blood in hopes of oxygen. The liquid filled her lungs and stomach, and soon she was literally drowning in blood. Her kicks got weaker as the ribbons around her body tightened, strangling her and chaining her down. No matter how hard she kicked, she couldn't move any further and eventually her kicks died and she sunk further and further to the bottom.

Just before she was about to die, the world around her shattered and she fell. Her naked body hit the ground as she coughed and gasped for air, blood spurted past her lips as dirt covered her dripping flesh. Her groans and wheezes were loud in her own ears, but no matter how much oxygen she took in, it never slowed her violent fit. Frightened, she looked up and tried to stand, stumbling on the earth and wrapping her hands around her shivering body, trying to cover herself.

She couldn't recognize her location, nor could she make out any real details. Darkness enclosed her and clouded her surroundings. An unknown light created a narrow path towards a structure a few yards away, and she blindly moved towards it, making sure she remained on the lit, dirt path. As she got closer to the obstruction ahead, she realized it was a very large metal door. Although slightly unclear, she was able to make out her reflection in the metal. But she was alarmed, because the thing staring back at her…wasn't _her. _Whatever it was had dirtied red-blonde hair - each strand tainted and stained by the brownish-red hue. Her skin was chalky white but there were spots along her hair line and her lips and eyes and fingers that were stained red and no matter how hard she scrubbed, the color wouldn't come off. The green eyes she had grown accustomed to had been replaced by ebony - she looked like something dug up from the deepest part of hell.

Suddenly the light path began to disappear behind her in strips at one time. The lights flickered dangerously, and suddenly Caroline knew she wasn't alone anymore. With each flicker, her reflection would return back to normal – blond hair, green eyes – before returning to the blood tainted demon. The light was continuing to dwindle and now someone was laughing; she turned around to stare into the darkness – sweat beading down her forehead and frantic breaths coming from her lips as the laughter echoed off invisible walls. The light was almost gone, but before it disappeared completely she turned around to lean against the strong structure in front of her. She rested her forehead against the metal, prying and hoping to survive whatever was happening.

_Caroline…_

Chills ran up her spine as she felt cold hands wrap around her neck until she couldn't breathe.

_Caroli-… eathe. _

She couldn't hear anything over the pounding of her own heart and she let out a scared moan as lips swept against her ear. Whoever he was chuckled softly in her ear, squeezing her tighter.

"Sweatpea…"

Her eyes flashed opened in alarm but her surroundings were different once again. Her body was laying on something soft but she was sweating, both hot and cold. Her vision swam in and out, but she could feel hands cradling her face; she attempted to sit up but the hands moved from her cheeks to rest on her shoulders, pushing her down. She couldn't see – or focus; all she knew was that she couldn't breathe. Her chest moved violently as she gulped in air, tears running down her face. She continued to try and sit up, but someone was forcing her back down, and that just scared her more.

"Caroline, I need you to relax and breathe."

She paused, recognizing the voice, and very slowly her vision focused.

Towering over her was Tyler Lockwood, strong hands holding her down, his expression alarmed and frightened.

* * *

_So, I was hoping that maybe I could break 200 hundred reviews with this chapter. That would be amazing and I'd feel so loved. c:_

_FYI, if you didn't already know, I did make a video trailer for this fic - the quality isn't very good, but I was happy with the way it turned out. Please, check it out and give me some comment love there as well!_

_www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=1KoVHPBdvRg_

_- replace (dot) with ._

_Thanks guys! Your support means everything to me!_


	11. XI

_So I have got A LOT to say._

_Number one – I am SO unbelievable sorry for the wait – it seems that I schedule better when I'm very, very busy and tend to slack off when I'm not. The hold up was due to the next chapter – it was going to be very long until I decided to split it up into two parts, so actually I'm a bit ahead now. But yes, what with being on vacation and working, things got intense. _

_Secondly, I realized I've messed up on the whole timeline of this story – so I'm just going to set things straight now. Caroline was taken on a Sunday and was chained up for a total of three days, being rescued Tuesday night. Tyler texted Stefan around 3:00 in the afternoon and the rescue began around 6:00. They made it back to the Salvatore mansion around 9:00 so as of this moment, I'd estimate it's close to midnight. Last chapter I made a mistake, something along the lines of "the early morning sunlight coming in through the blinds". I apologize for this mistake; I'm trying to keep up with the timeline for now on. ^.^_

_Lastly, before we start I wanted to thank [**Lover**] for being my 200__th__ reviewer! Thanks to all of you though for getting me here! Reviews make me feel loved, which is pathetic but it's nice to know other people besides me is actually enjoying reading the things I write. _

_Secondly, there have been so many reviews that I've really wanted to comment on, so I've decided I'll respond back to one reviewer for each new chapter – just to show how much I love you all. _

_This time, my love goes out to [**SuperAllie**]! Your comment made me laugh, and I hope the wait hasn't stressed you out too much! And thank you for the compliment! I try to keep the characters as IC as possible. Your support means so much! Thanks!_

* * *

_Are you there? Can you hear me?_  
_Are you there? Can you feel me?_

_Just in the way all your fingertips touch me._  
_They are healing._

_I'm waking up enduring my biggest fear:_

_…love._

_-Waking up (10 Years)_

XI.

He paced back and forth across the large room, every now and then glancing at Caroline to make sure she was still breathing. Occasionally she'd twitch or move her head an inch, but other than that she remained frighteningly still. He pulled his jacket off and threw it onto one of the chairs, running a hand through his hair and rubbing the back of his neck in agitation. His nerves were spent and his mind couldn't seem to separate the feelings he felt at that moment. He was tired and exhausted, but his blood still pumped furiously, keeping him wide awake and jittery. Instead of feeling scared or angry, he just felt the weight of the emotions getting heavier and heavier, crushing him.

Tyler knew part of it had to do with his connection with the other wolves, and currently he wasn't just suffering from his own emotional panic, but he was tapping into theirs as well. It made it difficult to figure out what _exactly _he was feeling at the moment, and made him vulnerable to the sudden mood swings as they overtook him. As he paced, he was consumed with fear – it compelled him to keep moving, to glance over his shoulder, to stare out the window, and keep his ears pierced for any sort of movement. Everything inside of him told him to run – to keep running towards the horizon and not stop until he reached the edge of the world, but there was no way in hell he was running. His want to remain here with _her_ overpowered his instinct to run.

And with that thought, he glanced back up again to check on her. She was still breathing; her skin was getting some color back; her eyes were moving behind closed lids; sure signs of life. A sharp breath of relief puffed from his mouth as he turned his head again, biting down hard on the bottom of his lip. Stefan had left the room less than ten minutes, but Tyler hadn't managed to stand still for more than nine. As soon as the vampire left, he had been struck immobile. Suddenly he was alone with Caroline, and while part of him desperately wanted her to wake up, another part feared the possibility. What if she was a heartless killer when she woke – could he stop her if she attacked? Would he even have the power to? Did she see anything when she looked at him?

What if she wasn't crazed? What could he do or say to make everything okay? It was his own kind that had done this to her, and once again he had tried to deny their involvement. It made him angry and he could feel his body flaring up, and unlike last time, this emotion was entirely his own. What the hell was wrong with him! Was it so hard just to trust someone? Was he that much of a coward that he couldn't believe in someone without hesitation? He wanted to; he desperately wanted to trust Caroline, but that scared him – the _desire_ to believe in her. It scared him more than anything else for reasons he couldn't quite understand. So instead, he pushed her away, he lied to her, he abandoned her, he hurt her, he blamed her…anything just to keep her away from him.

Without any soft of warning, his anger suddenly intensified so much that he halted in his steps and leaned over. His vision turned red as he was consumed with an anger he didn't understand. It left him lightheaded and breathless, and he was forced to close his eyes and hold his breath to keep from passing out. In that instant, he felt as though he would transform – even though there was no moon in the sky. Something animal tried to claw its way out and for a split second he feared he'd lose himself. But the anger faded within seconds leaving him stunned and sweaty. His mouth was dry and his skin felt like it was on fire. What the hell? That anger, it hadn't belonged to him – he was mad, but this fury was something twisted and murderous and very, very strong. It left him gasping and blinded him for a brief second. His heart hammered against his chest as a feeling of dread rushed over him; something was horribly, horribly wrong and whatever he just felt was just a glimpse of something to come.

But he was broken out of his stupor when he heard a soft whimper from the bed. He twisted and rushed towards the bed, eyes wide with fear.

"Caroline?"

She was gasping for air, her chest rising and falling almost violently. After a few seconds, she began to twist on the bed, groaning in pain and shuddering violently. Her breaths were nothing more than labored wheezing and Tyler quickly jumped onto the bed, his hands touching her cheeks. She was burning up, her hair sticking to her cheeks and forehead as she tried to dig herself into the pillows.

"Caroline, breathe." he instructed as she arched her back, but he pushed her back down onto the bed. Seconds later she let out a powerful gasp and opened her eyes. She stopped fighting against him and laid flat on the mattress, panting desperately as fresh tears fell from her unfocused, blood-shot eyes.

"Caroline, I need you to relax and breathe."

She seemed out-of-it for a few seconds, her eyes unfocused and staring up at nothing. He moved one hand to her cheek and stroked the side of her face with his thumb, hoping to calm her down a little bit. Finally after what seemed like forever, her green eyes fell on him and she registered what was happening.

"Tyler?"

He nodded, his stomach in his throat as he stared down at her dark eyes. She remained silent for a minute, her eyes stuck on his as she tried to recall what happened and where she was. Realization dawned on her and like a switch her eyes began moving around, trying to get an idea of where she was.

"W-where…?" she breathed in a frenzy as she took in the unfamiliar room. She again attempted to sit up, pushing with all her might off of the bed and Tyler repositioned himself, sitting up with her and placing his hands hesitantly on her arms to keep her steady.

"You're safe Caroline – you're at the Salvatore mansion." He swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched her glance around the room, examining every crack and corner with crazed eyes. The feeling of self-consciousness forced him silent once more as he thought about what he could say to her now that she was awake. But he could feel her shuddering under his hands and noticed the moisture in her eyes as she tried to understand the concept that she was actually safe.

"How? Y-you? I need to know…" she whispered to herself, suddenly growing very quiet and still. Tyler pulled away from her then and lifted himself off the bed, turning away from her for only a brief moment.

"I should go find Stephen," he suggested but a creak on the floor made him turn his attention towards the center of the room. His eyes widened as he noticed Caroline sluggishly moving towards the door. He stared at the bed for a second wondering how on earth the girl had moved so fast and how he hadn't heard any movement until just now. It didn't matter though.

Tyler quickly crossed the room coming up to stand in front of Caroline who was mumbling.

"Whoa, whoa, where are you going?"

"I need to know; I need to make sure…" she groaned, her red eyes desperately staring into his as she tried to walk passed him. Tyler stopped her by grabbing onto her arms, and walking in towards her.

"No, what you need is to lie back down," he argued, but she continued to fight him, trying to make it to the door.

"I _need _to see! I need to know…"

"Know what?" Tyler asked in frustration and as he asked the question, Caroline stopped advancing to look at him. The haunting look in her eyes broke his heart, but he could see the dark circles and red rings around her eyes and knew that what Caroline needed at this moment was sleep.

"I need to know that I'm not still locked up."

Her voice was a feeble whisper and it took all but three seconds for Tyler to understand. He shook his head and gently placed his hands on her cheeks, but she closed her eyes and shook her head already denying what he tried to reassure.

"You're not – Caroline. Believe me."

His eyes glanced around desperately until it landed on the window across the room. Lowering his hands back down to her shoulders, he gently pulled her in the direction as she swayed slightly from exhaustion.

"Come here," he ushered and very slowly she began to move her feet. When they reached the window, he carefully pulled the blinds apart, allowing the moonlight to filter into the room. The sight surprised her and she opened her eyes in relief, blinking rapidly at the vivid and earthly colors. Tyler could feel her shoulders relaxing as she stared outside. The girl remained silent for some time, the glow of the light making her green eyes shine brilliantly. Tyler's hand moved from her shoulder to rest on her back, his eyes never looking away from her face. His other hand maneuvered the locks on the window and within seconds, the old structure creaked opened and a great, cool breeze swept over the two. It blew Caroline's blond hair back and instantly the smell of grass and dirt and tree filled the room – the sounds of crickets and the rustling of trees echoing across the room.

Caroline closed her eyes and as she stood there, a single tear escaped passed her lid and ran slowly down her cheek. Tyler opened his mouth, but couldn't find any words to express his sympathy – his hand remained pressed against her back in between her shoulders blades as a sign of support, but he didn't know what to say or do to make any of this better. Eventually as more tears leaked from her eyes, Caroline let out a chocked sob and raised her hand up to cover her face in shame. Without thinking, Tyler carefully twisted her in his arms, but as she turned her body swayed and her knees gave out. His arms wrapped securely around her before she could drop more than a foot and he held her weight against him, taking a few deep breaths as he listened to her muffled sobs.

Her face was nestled against his neck and he could feel her hot, tears dripping down his skin; felt the warmth of her breath against him as she gasped for air; felt the trembling of her body. He tightened his hold around her, pulling her closer to him until her entire body was pressed tightly against his – and she returned his embrace with just as much desperation. Her one arm wrapped around his side, grasping the fabric of the shirt he was wearing. Similarly her other hand was near his heart, clenching the fabric so hard her knuckles were white. His one hand remained around her waist, supporting her weight, but he removed his one hand to rest on her head, slowly running his fingers through her hair in a soothing rhythm.

They stood their in silence for a while – the sounds of her broken sobs filling the room. Eventually her knees started to bend and Tyler tightened his grip around her, steering her back to the bed before she could fall to the ground. But as her legs hit the bedding, she suddenly shook her head and gave him a small push.

"No," she whimpered.

With a puzzled look, Tyler gripped her shoulders and squeezed them gently. "Caroline, you need to sleep."

She tilted her head down and violently shook it, chewing on her bottom lip to suppress more pitiful sobs. "I-I don't want to."

Tyler heaved a deep breath, "At least sit down." Caroline hesitated for a brief second, her eyes wide and frightened, but eventually she took a seat, fighting to keep her eyes open and her body alert. As Tyler looked over her, he noticed the way she held herself – rigid and alert, as though she were preparing for something to smother her. In turn, Tyler tried to calm his own racing heart by taking deep breaths, but no amount of air he sucked in to try and compose himself protected him from the sudden bombardment of emotions. He knelt down between her legs, staring up at her until she opened her eyes and looked at him. Her tears glimmered fresh against her porcelain skin, converging at the bottom of her cheeks before dripping onto her lap. Tyler could see the exhaustion in her eyes – they were bloodshot and red and he could tell just by looking up at her that she wasn't all together _there_. Like a person sleep walking or someone hindered by sleep; their bodies reacted and functioned, but their minds were obviously elsewhere.

Her eyes squeezed shut as she clamped her fingers together, squeezing so tightly her pink skin turned white. Tyler reached up and placed his hand on her knee, hoping to soothe her, but Tyler had never been any good at the whole comfort thing – he usually avoided it at all costs or awkwardly tried to pass it off. Many times Vicki would come to him complaining about Matt or her mom, and he would brush her off by offering her some pills. And then when his dad died, and his mother was grief-stricken, he avoided her at all costs, refusing to actually talk about it. Even now, part of him was so terrified that he just wanted to run, but this time it was different. This time it was Caroline – the girl that had held him and seen him at his most vulnerable moments. If she could console him during the transformation process, he could comfort her now.

He placed his larger hand on top of her interlocked fingers, trying to get her to relax a little. He gave it a little squeeze, and she opened her eyes to look down at him.

"Talk to me," he whispered as her cries became more internal. She was left gasping for air, soft groans escaping her lips every few seconds. At his question, she looked down at their hands, leaning forward so her body was bent closer to him. She opened her mouth to comply, but nothing but soft whimpers managed to surface. So he waited, crouched down on the floor in front of her, one hand on top of hers, the other resting on her knee until she finally managed to ground out a statement.

"I-I can't…sleep."

"Why?" he asked, his tone sympathetic.

She scrunched her eyes closed again – as if too afraid to face reality, a fresh batch of tears dripping down her face. "B-Because I'm afraid…of what might ha-happen when I close m-my eyes, and e-even more afraid…of what will happen in my dreams." She opened her glowing green eyes and shifted on the bed a little, her hands opened up to grasp his tightly. "I c-can't distinguish between i-it anymore…"

He understood and sucked in a deep breath, reaching up and clasping her cheeks between his hands. She let out a small sigh, looking at him desperately. He stared at her with powerful eyes, standing up and leaning forward until all he could see was her face.

"Look at me," he ordered with a firm voice. Her eyes wavered for a brief moment but eventually focused on his. "You are safe right now – I promise you; we're not going to let anything happen to you. You are safe." He tried to assure her, but he could see her unwillingness to believe. He could feel the tears on his fingers and as they continued to leak from her eyes, he brushed them away with his thumbs.

Caroline tore her eyes away from him and hung her head, her sobs turning to silent heaves. Tyler let out a great breath and glanced over her head, trying to figure out what to do next. Finally, he lowered his one hand to her shoulder and gently gave her a push down. Immediately, she let out a small squeak of protest and raised her hands to grip his arms in desperation.

"Just lay down – alright?" She shook her head but had no strength to refuse and eventually her head hit the pillow. Tyler took a seat next to her, looking down at her with sympathy, their hands still interlocked. Her eyes were drawn to the ceiling as her hysteria transformed into an exhausted daze. Tyler allowed the silence to occupy the space, leaving her to her own thoughts. Eventually she turned tired eyes to him.

"You helped…?" she whispered. "You came?"

She sounded slightly surprised and it made Tyler cringe.

"Yes," he managed to reply.

She stared at him with unfocused green eyes. "Thank You."

Her voice was so frail and tired it was hard to pick it up over the sudden gust of the wind outside. But he did, and he nodded softly giving her hand another squeeze. Caroline tilted her head to the side, her eyes closing for a brief second before flashing open again. Her neck muscles tightened as she tried to swallow, the dryness in her throat painful. As she started to drift, Tyler shifted on the bed and began to stand, but was stopped when Caroline shot out her hand to grip his forearm. When Tyler turned to look down at her, he noticed her eyes opened again, wide and frightful.

"Don't leave," she pleaded, making Tyler's heart ache. He nodded and took a deep breath, sitting back down on the bed and kicking off his boots. Caroline kept her hand glued to his arm, tugging on him gently and ushering to come closer. Hesitantly, Tyler slowly lowered himself onto the bed, the mattress creaking softly underneath him as he settled down next to the blond who shifted her body a little to make room. Tyler pulled the covers over his body and tilted himself on an angle, his heart pounding furiously in his chest for some reason. Caroline, now in mid-sleep immediately molded her body against his, resting her head against his chest and wrapping her arm around his stomach. Tyler held his breath, assaulted with the smell of the shampoo in her hair and the feel of her body against his. Her body was still cold, sending chills down his body and in response he pulled her closer, desperate to get her warm again.

Slowly he released the breath he was holding tight in his chest. He stared up at the ceiling, listening to the soft breaths coming from Caroline, and trying to understand _why_ he was suddenly so nervous, unbeknownst to the pair of eyes watching at the doorway.

xxx

Elena pulled Bonnie away from the door, shaking her head and placing a hand on her forehead in perplexity. The two friends walked towards the bathroom and once they were out of earshot, Elena turned around to look at her best friend.

"This is so weird."

"What is?" The witch asked.

"Tyler and Caroline." Elena indicated, nodding her head forward. "They never liked each other before. I mean Caroline always considered him to be this hot-headed dick and he always called her a neurotic bitch – they just never…clicked before."

Bonnie glanced back down the hallway towards the door, shrugging softly while chewing on her lip. "People change… feelings change." She answered sounding a bit unsure. Elena laughed a little, leaning against the wall and smiling softly. While she was distracted within her own thoughts, Bonnie kept staring at her, attempting to bring up something but failing after thinking about it. The witch took a deep breath and was about to speak, but Elena spoke once more.

"It's just- I'm surprised; I've never seen Tyler… I've never seen _that _look in his eyes before. I mean, it's a completely different side of him, you know."

Bonnie continued to nod, but wasn't actually listening, and if Elena wasn't so captured with her own thoughts, she would notice the anxious look on her best friends face.

"I just hope he doesn't scre-"

"I'm dating your brother!" Bonnie blurted out, unable to keep it inside anymore. With guilty eyes, she stared at Elena who had frozen in mid-sentence, looking as though she had just been hit by a bus. The two stared blindly at each other, as though mentally incapable of forming any words, until finally Elena shook her head in confusion, "What!"

Bonnie smiled awkwardly before taking a deep breath and explaining.

xxx

His eyes were closed and he actually felt peaceful. The sounds of the world outside fluttered passed the open window and made it seem like today was just another ordinary day; that nothing horrible had disrupted his quiet world. But the struggling girl in his arms broke that tranquility and reality came crashing back.

He opened his eyes and looked down, noticing the violent heaves of Caroline's chest. Her eyes were closed but her mouth was opened and she was trying to suck in air to fill her lungs, but for some reason she was having trouble. He shifted a little, bringing his one hand to rest on her temple as he shook her a little bit to try and help her calm down.

"Caroline…?"

"I can't b-breathe…" she whispered against his chest, her body tightening as her lungs cried out in agony. Tyler flipped her on her back and hovered over her, his hand resting on her cheek.

"Yes you can; you're fine. Listen to me Caroline." She twisted her head up and even though she still struggled to fill her lungs, she leaned into his touch for reassurance. "Breathe with me," Tyler ordered, grabbing her hand and holding it near his chest. Her eyes were closed, but were moving frantically underneath her lids.

With each labored breath, her neck and chest would convulse in desperation, and with each failed attempt, a soft wheeze would sputter passed her dry lips. But she listened to him, and very slowly her panicked gasps turned to forced breaths. She rested her head against his chest, trying to breathe in when he did and blow out gradually. He continued to encourage her with soft words, whispering calming things into her hair and running his hand across her back in a calming gesture, and eventually the girl relaxed against him once more. And just as quickly as she had awakened, she returned just as swiftly back to oblivion.

He remained still for a long time after that, holding her small body tightly against his own, listening for each breath she sucked in – counting the seconds separating her first breath from her next breath – hoping that _this _gasp wouldn't be her last. Tyler couldn't relax; his entire body was tight with fear that the thing laying placidly in his hands would fall apart at any second.

Tyler had never been a very religious person – sure, his parents had raised him Catholic, making him attend Mass every Sunday for the sake of face – after all, his father had been the Mayor. But Tyler never really paid attention or took the lessons and teachings from the Bible all too seriously. But for the first time, Tyler prayed. He pleaded with whatever God existed to help Caroline crawl through this recovery alive. He wouldn't be able to handle his own guilt if she didn't – it was already suffocating him. If he lost her, he would loose himself.

At the thought, he released the pent up oxygen in his chest, tilting his head down to look at the blonde once more. He tried to focus on her features in order to distract himself – the shape of her nose, the tilt of her jaw, her cheekbones, her round eyes, her hairline, the way her curly hair framed her face, the shade of her skin – he moved his fingers slowly up her arm, feeling the soft texture of her creamy skin – watching as the girl shifted slightly from the touch, shivers breaking out across her skin as she huffed gently in her sleep. He didn't stop, his hands moving on its own, sliding across her shoulder and up the length of her neck, until resting on her cheek, brushing away the tendrils falling across her cheeks.

_He had never seen anyone so beautiful. _

The thought made his hand freeze and turned his body ice cold.

He yanked his arm away, swallowing the sudden lump of panic that had lodged itself in his throat. He couldn't stop the thoughts that were suddenly racing through his mind.

_He had never met anyone so caring. Someone so thoughtful…_

Tyler gently pulled away from Caroline, ignoring her small noises of protest as the warmth she had clung onto for the last hour disappeared. With a shaking heart, Tyler swung his legs over the side of the bed, shaking his head as shivers broke out across his skin.

_This feeling… this feeling that had plagued his thoughts for weeks now…he finally knew what it was._

But – no, it was impossible. Tyler couldn't-

_The possessiveness, the need to protect; the fear and pain and panic whenever he thought about her. _

Tyler Lockwood wasn't capable of such feelings; wasn't deserving of such pleasures. Such a thing would become diluted, damaged, pulled and ripped apart, trampled upon and completely destroyed.

_And he couldn't do that – he couldn't put Caroline through that. She had had enough pain and torture. He couldn't be selfish like that. _

But now that he realized it there was nothing he could do to get it out of his head and like a gunshot, the words rung painfully loud through his mind. There was no denying it, and in a binge of panic, Tyler shot out of the bed, his eyes on the door as his body shook with alarm.

There was no running from it anymore.

_He was in love with Caroline Forbes..._

* * *

_OKAY! I'm going to try and focus more on my story because I love all the support and love. Please review despite my extreme lack of updates. Love you all! _

_Now I'm off to partay! 3  
_


	12. XII

_Yes, I am still alive! Work completely kicked my butt this summer and I found myself at a roadblock with my writing. But, I just got Vampire Dairies season 2 last night and marathoned the first six episodes and I found my inspiration flooding back. I'm in love this chapter because I managed to get inside Tyler's head so well I think. Tell me what you think. Is it believable?_

_I changed the description of the story; kind of hesitant to do so but w/e. _

_My special thanks go out to [__**Gaara-l0ve**__] this time. __**The**__ Gaara? Because I'm hopelessly infatuated with him as well! XD Well deary, your comment made me smile. I am NOT an English major…I know right. I should be because I LOVE English more than anything. It's a long story that I'm sure you don't care about, but let's just say I'm an English Major stuck in a Business major's body. Ugh…I hate business. LoL. _

_You are very attentive – and I may have done exactly what you wanted Tyler **not** to do – but you'll understand. Come on, he's Tyler! He's got to do the wrong things before doing the right things. And I'm very happy you picked up on that 'fury' bit earlier on. Yes, that will be coming back. –winks- _

_Without further ado, enjoy Chapter 12! _

* * *

_It's like an obsession, an addiction.  
You keep on running straight across, _

_Straight across my mind.  
I'll never look away.  
It's like the sun has opened up my eyes.  
You're straight across my mind.  
Straight across my mind._

_-_Straight Across my Mind (_Art of Dying_)

XII.

He paced back and forth – over and over again with so much vigor that he swore he burned footprints into the wooden floor beneath him. Just one hour ago he couldn't pull apart the feelings constricting his body, but now – now all he could feel was pure, unremitting panic. His mind spun like a violent whirlwind, victim to his burning emotions, making him stumble as his head became light and disconnected from the rest of his body.

_Just calm down, Tyler! _He repeated to himself, closing his eyes and halting his frantic movements. Taking in a deep, calming breath he stood in the middle of the room focusing on soothing his frightened heart. In the distance, he could hear Caroline give another soft hiss of pain, but he stifled the urge to run over to her. First before he could do anything else, he needed to regain control of his body and figure out why he was suddenly so scared.

Tyler Lockwood had spent many years ignoring his feelings. His father never cared for them - too concerned with making Tyler into the man he (for some reason) needed to be. There was no discussion in his family about feelings of remorse or jealousy or love or grief – according to Mr. Lockwood, they were nothing more than weaknesses; weaknesses that needed to be cut, torn, destroyed, controlled, didn't matter, as long as they were buried. So when Tyler's favorite cousin died in a horrible car crash when he was ten – he was instructed not to cause a scene at the funeral – to act like a man and embody strength – because "_a blubbering baby wouldn't help the family." _When Tyler complained of his jealousy about the extravagant sweet-sixteen-party Matt was having, Tyler got hit with the belt - labeled as an _ungrateful little bastard. _

His family was the reason Tyler didn't do relationships. His father always seemed to prefer him involved in flings as opposed to serious relationships. Tyler never brought a girl home to introduce to the family because they honestly couldn't care less, and Tyler didn't feel like listening to the hour-long speech afterwards that would take place – disowning him if he continued to see the lucky girl. Most girls didn't fit the bill anyway and if the media found out that the mayor's son was dating a "sleazy, party-animal" Tyler would never hear the end of it. His father told him he could do whatever he wanted to, as long as it remained private and anonymous. Vicki had hated him because of this – and even though he was never exactly serious with his best friend's younger sister, she still held the award for his longest lasting relationship. His father labeled her as a gold-digging whore and his mother had deemed her nothing more than a trashy fling.

In a nutshell, Tyler was messed up when it came to emotions, and most of the blame could be placed upon his parents.

His mother had backed off ever since his father's death – maybe something actually clicked when her husband died – maybe she realized how broken and miserable the family had been and decided that things needed to change. She had started to make an effort to connect with Tyler and even though there were times when Tyler hated the woman for the things she had done and hadn't done in the past, she was still his mother and he knew he was the only person left who could take care of her.

His thoughts were beginning to calm his racing heart, but when he heard Caroline shift on the bed and whisper out something that sounded something like "Tyler", his focus was broken. His eyes flashed opened and he turned to look at the bed, watching as the blonde twisted onto her back, her breathing labored again. She was caught in another nightmare it seemed. Tyler stepped forward to grab a hold of her hand, but stopped inches from where she lay. It was as if some kind of invisible barrier was blocking the man from advancing any further. He wanted so badly just to hold that girl – to continue and whisper soothing and calming words in her ear and feel her relax in his arms, but something was stopping him and no matter how much his mind screamed at his body to move, it refused.

Letting out a frustrated growl, Tyler turned the other way to continue pacing, noticing that Caroline had grown still in the bed. What was wrong with him! Why was his suddenly acting like a coward?

_What are you so afraid of Tyler?_

His steps faltered and after a minute, he turned to stare at Caroline.

_Her… _It was obvious once he stopped trying to avoid it. _You're not only scared __**of**__ her but __**for**__ her. _

Caroline Forbes – she was unlike anything he had ever come into contact with before. If the moon was his curse, then the sun was his salvation – and he believed one-hundred percent, without a doubt that Caroline was his sun. She was bright and warm, and carried light and hope with her gentle words and beautiful smile.

He _loved _this girl, and he realized that he had been falling for her for a while now. Everyday he would find something else about her that would only make him fall even harder. He understood now: all those times Matt would go on a rant about loving her; how he had been willing to do almost anything to get her back - and he would always just roll his eyes and scoff. He understood now. He understood what Matt had seen in Caroline Forbes… and he desperately wanted to steal that away from him.

But there in lies the problem – because Tyler Lockwood had _never _felt this way about a girl before; he had never felt this attachment and concern, this desire and desperation – he had never _wanted _anything for himself as much as he wanted Caroline Forbes. But revealing this need, it would be the biggest weakness he would ever admit. If he told her about how he felt, he would be left completely vulnerable – something Tyler avoided like the plague. He couldn't afford to drop his defenses like that – his father would surely come back from hell and smite him if he knew.

But God he wanted her. He wanted to protect her, hold her, kiss her – the same rush reminiscent to that night he pulled her into him and pressed his lips against hers consumed him. At the time Tyler didn't understand _why_ he had kissed her – he laughed it off saying he simply wanted to shut her up and kissing her seemed like the only good way to achieve that. But her angry voice and tired expression, her admittance to caring about him… she _cared _about him, when no one else gave a damn, this girl cared about him. Kissing her just seemed appropriate – seemed like the only way to quench that sudden need that had slammed against him, to quell that fear that she might walk into her house and slam the door in his face in anger, to control the sudden curiosity to know what she tasted like and how soft she was.

But if he cared…if he admitted to her that he liked her and they did start something…was he even deserving of her? Did she really want someone as screwed up as he? He could never make her happy; he was rash and possessive and jealous and dangerous – and if he ever hurt her, it would destroy him with guilt.

Tyler had ruined every single relationship in his life to the point where most resented just being around him. If Caroline and he were to engage in anything… he would no doubt destroy her. His love wasn't the normal kind, and he refused to allow Caroline feel the burden of its weight.

No, he didn't deserve her.

And Matt didn't deserve the pain of seeing his best friend dating the girl he loved. And Matt loved Caroline, it was obvious. Matt was good for Caroline – equalized her in every way possible. He was a sweet and caring guy, sometimes a little stubborn and thick, but overall a great guy. Tyler would be miserable seeing the two together, but as long as Caroline was safe and happy, he would be satisfied.

The charge that had flooded through his system began to slow as he came to terms with his feelings. He was left standing next to the bed, exhausted by the sudden panic that was now beginning to subside. He understood what he was feeling now and accepted the outcome – even if it left him feeling sour and empty.

He approached the bed and sat down on it, staring at her face and clenching his teeth with bitter determination. He lifted his hand and brushed her hair away from her face, watching with a small smile as she let out a gentle groan and tilted her head towards his touch.

He was drawn to her, his back bending as his face got closer to hers and for a brief moment his lips hovered over hers in hesitation. Closing his eyes, he softly pressed them against hers, feeling that instant warmth fill him from her touch – but after a moment, he pulled away breathing out softly and swallowing the lump lodged in his throat. He stared longingly at her, brushing his fingers against her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, lifting his chin and placing another soft kiss on her forehead. After another moment of silence and contemplation, he tore away from the bed and exited the room, not risking a glance back.

xxx

He shut the door as quietly as possible and turned on his heels, managing only to walk right into Stefan. His stomach jumped into his throat at the vampire's sudden appearance, and Tyler quickly averted his eyes as he stepped backwards. Stefan continued to stare at the man, all expressions pretty much concealed on his face. But beneath the hard gaze was a small glint of serious suspicion. His eyes drifted towards the door he'd just exited from before returning back to the wolf.

"Everything okay?" he asked tilting his head.

Tyler stuttered at first, running his hand through his hair in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure. After clearing his throat, he nodded and offered a forced smile finally meeting Stefan's gaze. "I'm fine," he promised, nodding at his own words as though he'd be able to convince himself. After a brief hesitation, he pointed back to the room adding, "Caroline's still asleep."

Stefan could instantly tell that something was up. Over the years, vampires become masters in recognizing behavior – they could sense fear, panic, true euphoria, honesty, deceit – they could not only sense it through mannerism but noticed the truth through words and the use of tones. They used these observations to fool others into thinking what they wanted them to think. Damon was a true master – he had the ability to fool even his own brother into thinking something – it was what made him so dangerous: his ability to hide what he was really feeling.

But Stefan was also skilled, and standing before him he recognized the signs of panic and fear, even if Tyler was doing his best to remain pokerfaced. Narrowing his eye, he took a small step forward.

"Tyler—?"

But Tyler cut him off, walking backwards down the hall.

"Listen, I need to get back home before my mother finds out I'm not there. I'll- I'll see you later, alright?"

He didn't even bother waiting for Stefan's response before he was ready to turn the corner, but at the vampire's firm tone, he paused.

"Tyler." He turned to look at Stefan, his body stiff. "I want you to know you are welcomed here anytime." It wasn't what he had been expected to hear, and his body relaxed a little bit. "Feel free to come visit her whenever you feel like it."

He spoke as though he knew…and maybe he did, but there was no way in hell Tyler was about to open up to him. He remained still for a brief moment, but offered nothing more than a stiff nod. Without another word, he turned the corner and descended the stairs and a minute later, Stefan heard the front door slam shut. The vampire's eyes stayed glued onto the spot Tyler stood moments before, trying to understand the reason why Tyler had suddenly bolted. It was a possibility it had something to do with Damon – maybe his brother had threatened the guy or ushered him into leaving in some way. Using his enhanced senses, he could tell that Caroline was still asleep, so his sudden departure couldn't have been a result of something she had done. But then what?

"Uck." Stefan turned to find Damon strolling down the hall, his nose turned up in disgust. "Smells like wet dog in here."

Stefan frowned and let out a sigh, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the door frame. "Did you say something to Tyler?"

Damon raised his brows, looking convincingly sincere. "No – should I have?"

Stefan didn't answer, his brow creasing only more dramatically.

"You really shouldn't contort your face like that – might permanently stay that way. Although an always-scowling Stefan doesn't exactly stray too far from the normal Stefan these days."

"Did you want something?" The youngest asked, hoping to get Damon out of his hair as quickly as possible.

"Yes, I do. Before all this madness occurred, Jonathan Gilbert had given me this little beauty." He pulled out a small dagger, spinning in effortlessly between his fingers. "Now that the dogs have run away from home, we can focus on the ancient breathing down our necks."

"Damon we have to be careful. Elijah's an ancient – we don't know what that entails."

"I know, I know. I'm going to check into the dagger – make sure it'll actually work. Believe me, I don't want any surprises."

Stefan raised his brow looking somewhat surprised. "Wow, this is a different side of you I haven't seen. Are you actually going to be careful?"

"Your sarcastic comments and lack of faith in me is hilarious Stefan." He muttered plastering on a fake smile, quickly adding, "But, don't get use to it. We wouldn't want two overly-cautious Stefan's running around, now would we? It would make for a very boring show in my opinion." He sighed and continued down the hallway, pushing passed Stefan to head towards the stairs. "Just wanted to inform you that this house will soon be the scene of a horrible, horrible murder – be prepared." As he sauntered down the steps, he called over his shoulder. "Oh, and I would much prefer getting our house back together – the ash color is not one I prefer so don't be alarmed when you find strangers gallivanting around, okay?"

Stefan simply shook his head and turned back around, stopping in front of the guest room and opening the door. He entered the room and quickly noticed Caroline sound asleep. It was still very early, judging by the sun's low position in the sky it was probably almost close to seven in the morning. Bonnie and Elena were asleep in his bed, the stress of the night finally exhausting them. But both Damon and Stefan remained awake and even though his brother hadn't mentioned anything, he could tell that he was also feeling slightly paranoid.

They _were _being cautious and when Elena suggested she head home_, _both Stefan and Damon were quick to disagree. The werewolves had proven themselves – they successfully created a slot for themselves in the "enemy" category. They had brutally tortured Caroline – _twice_. No question what they would do to Bonnie or Elena if they got their paws on them, and neither brother was willing to find out. If they were close, if Stefan knew where his girlfriend and her best friend were at all times, he might have an easier time protecting them.

He held the blood packet tightly in his fingers as he pressed forward. His eyes noticed the wrinkles in the bed sheet – not only that but he could smell Tyler's scent all over Caroline and the bed. She was peaceful at the moment; Stefan didn't understand what frightened the man so much that he stormed out of the house. Because despite how much Tyler had tried to cover it up, he had been terrified and desperate to get out of the Salvatore house.

Caroline rustled gently in her sleep, tilting her head to the opposite side of the pillow. Stepping a bit closer, he opened the blood packet and stuck a straw-like tube in the center of it. As the scent dispersed, Caroline let out a small desperate groan, her mouth parting slightly as her fangs instantly grew. Quickly, Stefan brought the packet to her mouth. She sucked the thing clean in less than a minute and once she was finished, she grew very still and complacent once more. He sat on the bed, running his hand gently through her curls in a soothing matter as she muttered random sounds, turning his head to watch the sun rise higher in the sky, wondering what on earth today would bring.

Fifteen minutes passed the hour, Elena found herself wide awake. Three hours of sleep wasn't adequate enough for a teenage girl and when she stood up and stared into the mirror, she let out a small groan when she noticed the dark circles beneath her eyes. Trudging up the stairs, she left Bonnie alone to go and check on her other friend currently unconscious in an adjacent room.

Pushing the door open as quietly as possible, she was surprised to find her boyfriend already situated in the room. He glanced up when she walked in and stood from the chair he had pulled next to the bed as she drew closer. Her eyes roamed over Caroline for a few seconds before switching to rest upon Stefan.

"How is she doing?" She asked with a voice as soft as a whisper. Stefan blew out a breath of oxygen and ran his hand down her arm, pulling her close. "She's still sleeping, but her wounds are healed and closed. I gave her another blood packet just before you came in."

Absentmindedly Elena nodded and when she didn't say anything more, Stefan stood in front of her, his hands running over her shoulders and down her arms in soothing gestures. "What about you?" She tilted her head up and he leaned forward to place a kiss on her temple. "You didn't sleep long; I can tell you're exhausted."

A small noise escaped from Elena's throat as she sighed and shook her head, "I can't sleep – my minds too wound up. I keep thinking about everything that happened and then I start kicking myself thinking about all the things I should've done to prevent it."

Stefan shook his head, "Elena, this isn't your fault."

"I know that," she insisted. "I just wish none of this happened."

She reached into her back pocket, curious to know the exact time. Her eyes panicked slightly when she noticed the eight missed calls – all from one caller: Jenna. And as if on queue, her phone lit up alerting her to another incoming call. She had put her phone on silent before heading off to the wolves' hideout and foolishly forgot to switch back to default. Now she was in trouble and wasn't sure what she should do.

Flipping the phone open, she turned her back to Stefan and walked towards the door. "Jenna?"

"Elena! Where the hell have you been! I've been calling you since two in the morning. Now I know I let some things slide, but this is unacceptable!"

"I know, I know Jenna – I'm so sorry."

"I come home and find not only you but Jeremy missing – and then you won't pick up your phone and Jeremy of course left his in his room. Are you okay? Do you know where your brother is?"

"I'm fine – I'm fine." Elena tried to assure her, her mind trying to come up with some sort of believable story as Jenna continued to ramble on with alarm. In the distance, she heard Ric's calmer voice add "I told you they were fine Jenna." Elena blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "Jeremy and I met up with Bonnie because we needed some help with a project for school."

"Jeremy helped you with a project?" She asked sounded skeptical as though she could detect the lie, which was to be expected considering up until this year, Jer skipped more classes then the three of them could count. Nervously she played with the story, her mind trying to produce some sort of believable lie. "Yeah, he owed me and we needed someone to do the simple stuff. I guess we all lost track of the time and then we fell asleep, but were both fine."

Elena wasn't sure if Jenna would believe it, but finally her guardian let out a frustrated sigh, "Elena you can't pull this crap with me – especially now that John is here. I don't want him to have any more reasons to suggest that I'm an unfit guardian."

Guilt made her cringe and she nodded silently to the phone, agreeing with the irresponsibility. "You're right – It won't happen again."

There was a beat of silence before Jenna released a sigh. "Just make sure Jeremy gets to school on time please. If he skips another class I'll have to show up for another student-guardian-teacher conference."

Elena promised Jenna she would get Jeremy to school, but as soon as she hung up, she turned to grimace at Stefan. "What do I do? Jenna is expecting us to follow the rules, but I can't leave with Caroline still like this."

Stefan grabbed a hold of her shoulders and shook his head, a look of authority in his eyes. "Elena, go to school; there's nothing you can do for Caroline right now. At least if you go to class you'll be able to keep Jenna happy." She opened her mouth to argue. "More than likely Caroline will be sleeping all day."

Elena seemed hesitant to follow his decision. Her eyes flew towards the blonde still settled in the bed. When she returned her eyes to his, she frowned deeply. "Text me if something happens. I mean it Stefan – if I go to school, I want updates hourly."

The vampire smiled softly and nodded. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers for a second before pushing gently on her shoulders. "Go."

Seven became eight – eight turned to nine – nine flashed to ten – ten transformed into eleven, and by the time twelve rolled around Stefan had fifteen new text messages and no news. Caroline still lay comatose; the only reaction Stefan had managed to get from her was the slight stirrings when he fed her another packet of blood. He remained by her side for those hours, pacing and thinking about their situation – waiting for Elena's concerned messages, listening to Caroline's soft murmurs… but a sudden CLANK and a few choice curse words originating one floor below pulled him from the room.

Shutting the door, the brother walked downstairs to figure out what the commotion was. As he passed the front door, the wood burst open and in walked six guys each carrying construction tools and wearing hard hats. They paid him no attention as they argued with one another, babbling about reconstruction this and assembly that. With a stunned expression on his face, he followed the strangers as they walked deeper into his home.

"No, no, no. Now Evan, be careful. I want everything that can be salvaged to be salvaged. If you idiots break something not meant to be broken, I'll have your heads."

Stefan widened his eyes as he walked into the half-destroyed living room. His eyes fell onto his brother who was shouting out orders as he lounged on the arm chair in the middle of the room an orange construction hat placed atop his head.

"Damon, what are you doing?"

"Stefan, we've already discussed this." He brushed him off as he brought crystal to his lips, turning a page of the book settled in his lap.

"Who are these people?"

"They would be called 'construction workers'."

"You're having them fix the house…_now_?"

"Yes, I need to get this place back in order." More shouts sounded off around them as more people continued to drag in more tools. Stefan held his breath as he watched one of the workers slam a sledgehammer into the ruined wall. He grabbed his brother and tugged him into a separate room.

"Are you crazy?" At Damon's silence, he continued. "Caroline is upstairs – we have no clue how she's going to react when she wakes up."

"Your point being…?" Damon asked, tipping more alcohol into his mouth as he stared off into the distance.

"What if she wakes up and tries to kill everyone!" Stefan exclaimed thinking about the worst scenario.

"Come on little brother. You need to have more faith in our Caroline!" His green eyes narrowed when he noticed the actions taking place in the adjacent room. "Evan!" he yelled brutally. "No, don't knock down that wall! Burnt walls you moron!"

And with that, Stefan walked away in a considerably worse mood than before.

xxx

Caroline woke almost twenty six hours later.

* * *

_So is anyone still out there? I hope I haven't lost my support for this fic! Pop in and say hello in the reviews; many apologies due to the wait, but I do plan on finishing this, and we're only maybe half-way through the story. I have some nasty twists up ahead. So please review and send some love, because it gives this boring girl such joy when my email lights up. –sopathetic-_


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